Legend of Mewtwo
by Cell's Twin Sister Celita
Summary: NOTICE: This story is purely Pokemon, but it's basically a prequel to my series.
1. Chaos, Hurricanes And A Reunion

This is set in a world where Pokemon do not exist. There is only Mew and Mewtwo, and I do not own them. If I did, I'd be rich. But I don't, so I'm not. I own Laura and all the humans, and I own Shade and Mewthree and the species name 'Two. I don't own Crash and Burn by Savage Garden, either.  
  
Legend of Mewtwo  
  
The impossibly beautiful dream shattered into a million glittering fragments of thoughts, leaving the catlike creature gasping in pure shock. "He's waking up for the first time, Doctor." There were strange voices echoing all around him. "His brainwaves are going off the scale, sir! Hope we don't lose this one too!" They were most likely working on strange things he most likely wouldn't be able to see even if his eyes were open, not even noticing him. Then a distinctly female-sounding voice said directly to him, "Hey in there, big guy. I know you can hear me in there, dude. Don't go all weird on us, okay? You just got born. Don't die on us now. Y'all hold on and don't you dare go giving up on us."   
  
He opened his eyes for the very first time, studying the scene unfolding before him. The room was kind of small and cramped, with rusty red brick walls. It was filled with all sorts of scientific equipment and fancy supercomputers. There were a great many people standing all around him…humans. He had a feeling that he wasn't included in that group. Then he noticed where he was. He was enmeshed in a nest of long, snaky tubes. And he was floating in a huge cylindrical glass vat filled with some sort of strange viscous, gelatinous liquid gunk. His face twisted in a snarl of utter disgust and all the scientists there were mostly surprised to not quite hear a low growl of (Oh, yuck!) Doctor Sinclair, a male with wild brown head fur and frizzy face fur, said, "He's psychic. Surprised? Mew was psychic. We created him from her DNA. It looks like our little experiment worked."   
  
That same non-voice echoed his last words; (An experiment?) There was a wet sloshing sound as he stirred in the liquid-filled vat. They looked at him. They knew that it was their creation talking to them without using spoken words. (An experiment, you say? Do you mean me? Well, what am I?) Doctor Sinclair replied, "Your name is Mewtwo, for you were made from the DNA of Mew. From Mew came Mewtwo. From her came you." Mewtwo said; (Then I am just some sort of a lame copy of that funky little Mew thing you just told me about?) The one who had encouraged him to live, who was a small female with long brown head-fur, said, "Is a child a copy of his mother? I think not. You're you, not some lame carbon copy. See what I mean?" Doctor Sinclair turned to face her and snapped, "Shut up, Miss Meisenheimer. I'm the head honcho here. I talk, see?" She snapped back, "How many times do I have to ask you to call me Laura, Doctor Sinclair? Oh, well. I suppose once more can't hurt too much." Doctor Sinclair turned away from her, not wanting to have to deal with her attitude at that particular point in time. Then he said to his creation, "Nope. Heck no, no way and not a chance. No second-rate replica, you! We made you better. We made you stronger. We wanted to see if we could do it. That was our experiment. And here you are." Just about almost overlapping his last few words, Mewtwo asked in turn, (And is your experiment over, now that I am here?) Doctor Sinclair replied, "It's only beginning. Now that you're here, the tests and stuff begin."   
  
The female, Laura, stepped in and growled, "Sir, I think you're making a big screw-up here. He's not just an animal you can run your stupid little experiments on. I mean, look at him! He can talk. He can think! Don't pull any guinea pig stuff on him, man. Listen to me if you value your butt. And as for your tests…Have you considered asking him for permission to do them?" But it was far too late. The big ultimatum was out in the open. Mewtwo realized that to the vast majority of them he was just some sort of a glorified lab rat. It was a very disturbing revelation, yet not quite altogether unexpected. His mind was whirling. They want to cage me and run some sort of tests on me. No. No way! This cannot be! They made life itself and they didn't see beyond their triumph. I'm just a thing to them. They are going to pay for what they would do to me! He calmed down and thought, I think I have some kind of power. Let's see if I can use it. He closed his eyes and envisioned the big slime-filled vat shattering all around him. He felt something like an ethereal arctic wind passed through his white-furred body, making him shiver slightly. Then he felt a lightning bolt of power that had suddenly been released sear his mind and he heard the sound of shattering glass. The disgusting, sticky liquid fell away from him in a loud splattering rush, replaced by a lighter-feeling gust of cool air. The calm air carried the stinging reek of hospital antiseptic. He wrinkled his smallish, feline nose at it. It smelled like a herd of elephants trapped in an extra-hot sauna. Basically, it stank-bad.   
  
Then he got a good look at himself. His furry belly was rock-hard, his tail was thin, and it looked a little bit like a worm. He had short, thick legs and his feet were positively enormous. His knobby shoulders were angled upward and outward, adding to the look of deformity. His arms were stick-thin and he had huge grotesque triple-toed paws that were utterly without any kind of claws. He said, (Whoa, I am so ugly!) Laura stepped up and said, "No, you're not." She jumped back with a weird squawk when he began to shake the smelly slime out of his slick fur. Then he used his power to such a vast extent that his destruction of the vat that had contained him mere moments ago was nothing. He rose off the ground and just plain hovered. He took a moment to wonder at the fact that he was no longer on the ground. Then he said silently, (Sorry to break it to you this way, guys, but I think it's about time you knew. MEWTWO AIN'T NOBODY'S LAB RAT!) He felt a wildly screaming hurricane of pure rage blossom within him. He fairly rocketed up and barely regained control of himself before giving the ceiling some grief with his head. Then he thought, Yes! Anger fuels my power! That is so cool! Let's see if I can't give these jerks some grief with my special abilities. He envisioned utter chaos taking place before him, the scientific equipment flying around the room in a deadly vortex as the supercomputers exploded like metal-based howitzers. Again, the cold wind shook him from within, the lightning flashed in his head, and again his vision became real. Panic swept the room. Doctor Sinclair, so high and mighty before, now begged for mercy. Mewtwo's answer: (No. You're not going to be manufacturing any more of me. I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!) He then rose higher, hovering above an inferno born of the mixing of strange chemicals, and gave Doctor Sinclair a withering glare. He looked down at himself. His furry body was burning with electric blue light. Was that a manifestation of his power? Cool. Without really having to think about it all that much, he focused on his right paw. The electric blue light quickly concentrated there, flowing down his right arm as if sucked in. Doctor Sinclair spoke aloud, saying words he couldn't quite hear. He cupped the ball of light that formed in both paws, holding it back, and then spoke. (No more talk.) Then he released it.   
The power was like a song resounding from within Mewtwo's body, a thunderous orchestra playing in million-part harmony, drowning out all sounds from outside him. He wasn't afraid of anything or anyone. He was invincible, untouchable. Mewtwo, after all, was God! And he held in his mind an unlimited number of thunderbolts that he could use to strike down all of his enemies, no matter where they tried to hide from his great wrath. If the ceiling caved in on him at any point during his rampage, his psychic shield would protect him from it. His shield could protect him from anything at all. Then a strange sound cut right through the wildly magnificent symphony of his invincible, unstoppable power. Somewhere, someone was crying. The roar of the flames hadn't so much as fazed him, and now the muffled sobs of some unknown person cut through his thoughts? That was rather strange, to say the very least. He followed the sound, very curious about it.   
  
Laura crouched in a corner, curled up in a tight ball. She shielded her head with her arms and wept with sick terror. Had she truly helped to create such a terrible creature? So strange a creature she had worked to make! And, however intelligent, so powerful! Mere humans were never meant to meddle in such things as life itself! In the end, how could Mewtwo regard her as anything but an intruder? Lamenting her mistake, she shut her eyes, awaiting the fatal psychic strike or deadly electricity sphere that surely had to come.  
To her surprise, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. She looked up and promptly forgot her shamed sorrow in favor of shocked fear. Mewtwo stood before her, holding back the many encroaching flames like Moses upon the parting of the Red Sea. She was twice as surprised when she felt a familiar voice speaking words into her mind. Mewtwo held out his big three-toed paw to her and said in a determined voice, (Come with me if you want to live.) She slowly stood up and took his outstretched paw. He pulled her closer and said, (Hold on. The ceiling's going to collapse. My shield will protect us, though. We'll be home free in just a minute.) Laura gasped in shock as she felt herself rising off the burning ground. Encapsulated inside a big blue energy bubble along with Mewtwo, she was floating. The ceiling came down in a massive avalanche, but it fell all around her, not on her. Soon she could see the sky through the smoke all around her.  
  
Hovering at roughly a hundred feet above an island, Mewtwo said, (We're on an island? That throws off my calculations. Listen. I'm going to float you to the nearest land. But as for me, I've got to do something about this fire here. I got carried away, so now I'm going to see if any others survived. And I'm going to float a bunch of seawater over the fire to douse it. Maybe I'll see you again. Maybe I won't. I'll be around here, though.)  
  
He found no survivors. Save for the female he'd floated to safety, everyone had to be dead. Mewtwo sat down on a broken pillar and thought a bit. Wow. How did this go so wrong? I meant to just destroy their lab as a warning not to mess with stuff that was beyond their collective league, but instead I killed. I have to learn to control my abilities. But how could he? He heard a sound overhead, like something whacking air over and over in rapid succession. He looked up and saw the source of the sound. It was a large helicopter. It touched down on a patch of smoking rubble nearby. A male dressed in a light brown suit stepped right up to him and said, "Those fools wanted to control you." Mewtwo replied; (What makes you think I consider you to be any different from any of them?) The male said, "They thought you were less than intelligent. But I, Giovanni, the one and only supreme leader of Team Rocket, know better than to think that about a magnificent creature such as yourself. Working together as equal partners, we could rule the world. I can also teach you to focus and even strengthen your powers. What do you say? Partners?" Mewtwo replied slowly, (Okay. Partners it is.) The male, Giovanni, laid a gentle hand on Mewtwo's bony shoulder. He unconsciously flinched at the light touch. Touch apparently enhanced psychic contact, so he suddenly found himself looking out from behind the male's eyes. He saw himself in a new light. In this male's mind, he was an awesome creature with godlike power. No one could beat him or stop him. He could rule the world with an iron fist, for he had great potential and power to back it up. That only made Mewtwo feel like it was an even better idea to go with him. Giovanni had to be pretty smart and strong to get to the high position he was at. A smart, strong person could keep his promise to help Mewtwo learn to control his power. That meant he had to trust Giovanni for now. Well, he thought, It's definitely worth a try with this guy here.   
  
It seemed like Mewtwo was standing in another lab before he knew it. He was restrained as metal sheaths were clamped over his body. He fairly snarled, (What is this? AAHH! Get off! Get off! What are these things for? YIKES! Get them off me!) Giovanni replied, "Calm yourself, partner. This is armor. It'll protect you from attacks and the headpiece is specially designed to amplify your psychic powers. The restraints are to keep you from moving around too much. This thing is all automated, so you have to keep very still or you may get hurt accidentally." Mewtwo quickly calmed himself back down. He didn't want to flip out and end up totally humiliating himself in front of his new partner. He held completely still and just let the computerized arms slip the armor onto him. After a few relatively long minutes, he stepped away from the machine that had put the strange armor on him. He moved around just a little bit and then said, (This is fantastic! It fits me perfectly! I can feel such strength flowing through this armor! I feel like I could lift boulders and throw them for miles! But…well…I can't feel your thoughts. Everything is so…quiet. I can't move anything around with my mind anymore. Where is my power?) Giovanni replied, "This may come as a bit of a shock, but you don't know how to use it. You have the power, but you can't control it yet. Your destruction of the lab is evidence enough to prove that. You were using it unconsciously and instinctively. The armor is designed to block your power when you use it that way. For a time, you will have no power. But you will soon learn to consciously control your power. The armor is designed to only allow you to use your power if it's consciously controlled. As your mastery of your awesome power increases, you will begin to no longer need the armor's controlling capabilities. When you have mastered your power completely, you will then receive a new suit of armor. The new armor will only protect you, not block or focus your power. Controlling and focusing your great power will then be left completely up to you, pal." Mewtwo said, (If you put it that way, yes. When do I start?) Giovanni replied, "You start right now. Let the learning exercises begin!" Mewtwo chimed in, (Yes! Bring it on, man!)  
Being powerless terrified Mewtwo to no end. It was like suddenly being blind or deaf. Out of a burning desire to learn how to control his awesome power, he worked with the armor night and day. In his stupidity, ignorance and inability to control himself, he had accidentally killed people. No matter what it took and how long he had to work at it, he wouldn't let such a horrible thing happen ever again. He was willing to try anything, do anything to learn to prevent a second fatal accident from happening again. People had died because of his inability to control his power or his temper. Being dangerous just didn't quite suit him, no matter how much or how hard he tried to rationalize it. He was supposed to have the power. But he didn't really want to have it. It was his destiny to be that powerful. He was meant to have to live his life in that way. But he desperately wanted to choose how he would live his own life. So he hated it with a great passion.   
He was given living quarters that had been designed to fit his needs. He had a chair, the rear of which was cut out to accommodate his tail. His bed was specially contoured to allow him to sleep in it without any discomfort. Out of curiosity, he began to learn human habits. He took showers in the morning and made sure to brush his fur before bedtime. Intrigued by human habits, he preened before the mirror in his room sometimes. But no matter what he did, the fact that he wasn't human screamed at him all the time. He wasn't one of them, he would never be one of them, and how could they accept him in their group, seeing as he was…different? He tried speaking aloud to lessen the species gap, but found that his vocal apparatus was ill suited to the task. So that was out. He would have to prove that he was an okay person by honing his dangerous power to its very maximum.   
  
Day by day, week by week, he made slow progress. Soon, he could control his power with great precision. He could levitate a herd of bulls clear across a county and he could flip a coin with his thoughts. He had already known he could conjure fire, but now he could control it enough to set a feather on fire from a hundred feet. He learned how to channel energy from place to place. He could crash out a huge lightning bolt from inside himself and he could give someone static cling. He learned how to float himself around with great precision. He could turn in midair on a dime, zip around in any given direction, weave through the air like an all-purpose fly and travel at the speed of a fighter plane. He learned how to not read minds and how to control someone's mind. Soon he could crash out lightning bolts while floating around, conjure fire while floating around, control multiple minds at once and float both himself and others around at the same time.   
  
As soon as Mewtwo's mastery of his power was complete, he was given a new suit of armor as Giovanni had promised. Then the battles began. He had proven his skill with his power, and now he was to prove his skill in battle. Soon he was a holy terror in battle, as he had always known he would someday become. He won them all, every single one, and battles ceased to be a scary thing to worry about in his honest opinion. Stunningly easy victory after stunningly easy victory merged one into the other as he blazed his way through his opponents like a psychic steamroller in motion. The longest battle was a mere thirty seconds, in which he took pity on his enemy and let it think it had a chance against him. He toyed with it a little bit, feinting and parrying futile strikes before having enough and ending it once and for all with a very slight taste of his awesome power. It was easy. Every battle was easy. He didn't even have to do any more than the barest minimum.  
  
Mewtwo loitered around the arena after yet another battle, periodically kicking at his leg protector in a halfhearted attempt to scratch an itch. He'd just won. For the fiftieth time, he'd trashed his opponents. It was getting to be boring. Giovanni stepped into visibility high above, in the audience foyer. He said, "Good going. You are so amazing. With your power, I will soon rule the world." Mewtwo replied, (You will soon rule the world? You will? Hey! Hey, time out! What about me, then? You said we were equal partners!) Giovanni laughed at that. He said, "Partners? Did you really think I would go fifty-fifty with you?" Mewtwo growled, (Wait a minute! We had a deal!) Giovanni said, "Does a man make a deal with his gun? Does a man make a deal with his warplane? It's time for you to wake up to reality, 'partner'. I have a bit of a true story for you. Listen up, okay? A long time ago, all the scientists of the world were manufacturing organic weapons. They made many, many tailored viruses and deadly bacteria. But they decided that more was needed. They started to work on the pinnacle of all organic weapon development. A creature whom no known weapon could touch, who could deal with any enemy at lightning speed, who could counter the enemy's plans the very moment they were thought of. The research went on for decades on end. Eventually, a huge breakthrough was made and a new, deadly creature was born. A deadly creature with enormous psychic power, great strength and great intelligence entered into the world. Do you know who that creature was, partner? Do you?" He laughed and mused aloud, "Mewtwo. Your very name speaks of the fact that you came second. Born out of man's genetic tinkering, natural you aren't. You ever wonder why? Why do you possess such awesome destructive power…unless the scientists who originally made you wanted you to have it?" Mewtwo got the innuendo and gasped, (Oh, man! No. No way! No way! Don't say it. Just don't say it!) Then he found that he didn't really give a care. He said, (Yeah, I'm a weapon. No, I'm so much more than that. I'm the ultimate living weapon, baby! Don't you know it! This cat can kill anybody!) Then he turned to his erstwhile partner and continued, (There's just one little thing you should know, 'buddy'. I may be a living weapon, but no one controls me. Upon my creation, I swore that I would let nothing and no one control me. I answer to no one, let alone to you, you big, fat ugly bum. I respect no one's authority save for my own authority and I choose to say I AM OUTTA HERE!)   
  
In mere milliseconds, Mewtwo had slammed straight through the roof and was rocketing through the stratosphere. The speed he was going at tore the armor right off him. Soon, all he wore was his helmet. He touched down on semi-rough concrete. He removed his helmet and threw it down, then looked around. He thought, Here again? What strange force moved me to return to my birthplace? The fire that had ravaged the place where he'd been born, the fire he had given birth to, had long since died. He wondered; I can use my power with great strength and great precision. Does that mean I can use it to build a home for myself from this wreckage? The only way to find out was to try. He closed his eyes and concentrated, using his power in the way he'd been taught. The awesome, all-pervasive blue glow that went with his power enveloped him as it began. Rubble whirled around him and reformed into the building it had once been. It was like the building was collapsing in reverse. At the center of it all, Mewtwo stood untouched. Soon the building stood all around him in its former glory, although it was completely devoid of human occupants. That was fine by Mewtwo. Humans stank. He quit using his power and promptly collapsed. That was a shock to him. He was totally worn out. He thought, Hey. I have limits. They're pretty huge limits, but they're limits nonetheless. That was his very last thought before he inexorably slid into the dark depths of oblivion. If he spent some time asleep, he would most certainly return to full strength very soon.  
  
He spent the next three days fast asleep, slowly but surely recovering from the massive strain that reconstructing the building had placed on his mind and body. On the dawn of the third day, he awakened; feeling both renewed and delightfully refreshed. He had a plan concerning what to do next. He'd take his revenge on the world and the human race as a whole. From what he'd just seen, humans as a whole were mean, nasty, prejudiced, manipulative and generally corrupt. From what he'd seen, the world in its entirety was a dark, cruel, horrible place. That world didn't deserve to exist anymore, in his opinion. Well, he'd cleanse the planet of humankind as a whole and bring the surviving races together to create a world of pure joy and light, of wondrous beauty and peace. A new, wonderful world… He suddenly stopped in his mental tracks. A world like the one he'd seen in the dream he'd had before awakening for the first time. Had his facial structure permitted him to smile, he would have done so. Remembering that dream was one of the comforts he had. He'd make a paradise. He had to get rid of the old before he could bring in the new. The thought of what he had to do made him sick, but he had no other choice if he wished to make his dream into reality. He had to destroy the human race. It would make him just about die of guilt, but he'd do it anyway. There was no way around that.  
  
Mewtwo climbed a spiral staircase to reach the top floor of the building he'd resurrected. As he walked, he thought, Wow. I didn't know the scientists who made me were doing their work in a mansion. This is such an awesome place. And it's home. It's my home. He looked at everything he could possibly see, indulging in pure curiosity, as he never had before. Soon he stood on a balcony high above a cliff where waves crashed and roared. He looked up at the huge blue sky, then down at the lapping waves around his island home. And he had an idea as to what to do to start with. It would be a bit of a stretch for him, but if he could levitate a herd of bulls and rebuild a mansion from scratch, he could certainly do it. Calling on all his power, he raised a single paw high into the air. The whole world seemed to stop right in its tracks, anxiously waiting for him to give his next command. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, he began to move his paw in a small circle. The clouds in the sky also began to move in a circle. He moved his paw slowly at first, but then faster and faster until his paw stirred the air at a relatively lazy speed. By that time, the sky was roiling with huge, ominous dark clouds. He looked upward again and he would have smiled, had he been physically able to do so. He had just created a truly massive hurricane. This very special hurricane, the biggest ever in the history of everything in the whole world, would move out from the island under his guidance and rid the world of the evils of mankind. His plan was well underway now.  
  
The woman shouted into the radio, "Mayday! Mayday! This is the ferry Freebird! I've lost my bearings and am taking on water! Last known position is somewhere off the coast of Panama! I've got passengers with me! I could use a little help here!" A voice crackled over the radio, "We copy, Freebird. What is your current position?" The woman replied, "I don't know! I don't know!" Then she paused. She could see something through the rain. She cried, "Sweet mother of mercy!" Then she continued, "The land! I-I see it!" Her joy turned to horror and she shrieked, "Holy guacamole! Too close! I'm too close! Everybody get ready for impact! We're gonna crash!" Then she went off the air for good.   
  
The ship pitched up against the rocks, wounded and doomed. Massive waves broke over the rails and tore it to pieces. The people who had been aboard the boat (four men and women in all), struck out for the nearby land. They had a pretty easy time of it, too. Soon they stood atop a large pile of rocks that marked the beginning of a sheer cliff. The woman who had been piloting the ship yelled over the roaring storm, "Hey! Folks! Look over there!" There was a huge inlet carved in the rocks. It looked like a monstrous cave. Wherever it led, it was shelter. So they slowly began to make their way over toward it. No matter what happened next, it would be good to get out of the terrible, slashing storm. And none of them knew what lay in store for them. Nor did they know whose island they were on. After all, how could they possibly guess what wonders and terrors lay in store for all of them? But they were nonetheless on a high-speed collision course with destiny. Once they were inside, away from the wind, the waves, and the storm in general, they did introductions. The ship's pilot introduced herself as Hannah White. A young man named William was wringing the water out of his hair and clothing. And a pair of newlyweds, George and Laura, sat on the ground, dazed. Laura, still clad in her soaked, ruined wedding dress, fairly clung to her husband. Hannah tried to figure out what to do next. She was supposed to be the leader, but she had no idea what to do. Then someone called out, "Hey! Yo, lady! Check it out! There's a staircase over here! And I can see light at the top!" By an unspoken general consensus, they ascended the staircase. A crudely hewn stone archway opened into a grand ballroom. Everyone looked around with awe, save for one. Laura looked around with pure confused shock. Her name had once been Laura Meisenheimer, and she had once been a scientist. The place she was in now looked exactly like the place where she had worked long ago. But that place had been destroyed. And here it was. Was it possible? Had none of it really happened? If she were to run up to the lab, would she find Doctor Sinclair and the crew continuing their ongoing work on Project Mewtwo? She could feel a bubble of explosive excitement swelling inside her mind and heart. It burst and she ran, nearly tripping over her wet wedding dress and wincing as her wet hair whipped around her face. She yelled, "Doctor Sinclair! Judy! Yo, T.J! It's me, you guys! It's Doctor Meisenheimer! Hey, everyone! Are you all deaf or something? Hey! Hey! Jim, are you up there somewhere? Doctor Laura Meisenheimer is in the house! Are there any new developments in Project Mewtwo? Hey, guys! Answer me!" George, her husband was totally confused at her shouted statements. He'd known his new wife had once been a scientist, but what in the name of all sanity was Project Mewtwo? But he acted quickly, running after her, grabbing her and stopping her shouts. He said, "Hush up, please. We don't know what we're dealing with here. It could be someone nasty. Until we find out just what's really going on here, we have to keep quiet and not let whoever's here find us tramping around in his house. You got that? I sincerely hope you do." Laura replied, "Okay. I just went a little hysterical there and I'm very sorry for that." They quickly rejoined the group, which clumped together into a fairly large wad of scared people. Moving along slowly and quietly, they began to explore the huge place.   
  
As they moved through the seemingly abandoned mansion, George whispered to his wife, "Just one thing. I know you used to be a scientist; you used to work somewhere very like this place and the people whose names you called were once your colleagues. But there's just one thing about what you said that confuses me. What is Project Mewtwo?" Laura whispered, "I mentioned it aloud? If it were still in effect, you'd have to be arrested on terms of national security. But Project Mewtwo is pretty much defunct right now, so I can tell you everything you could possibly want to know about it. But where should I start? Where do I start this tale? Oh! Stupid me! I'll start at the beginning and when I get to the end, I'll stop. Here goes nothing. Listen up." As Laura led them up the spiral staircase, headed for where the lab had once been, she said, "Our original DNA sample came from a fossilized bone that had once belonged to an extinct exotic, legendary creature. The archaeology expedition down in Brazil had just brought it back from the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the very same legendary creature whose bone it had been. The creature was catlike and also very small. The legends of the Amazon Rainforest told of the creature being psychic in a major way. I thought of it as a sort of tiny fairy kitten, so I started to call it Mew. Soon everybody was calling it that. The project became known as Project Mewtwo. Why did we call it Mewtwo, you ask? We were breeding a second creature from the remains of the first, so the name seemed to be perfectly logical to us. We'd first called the project Mew Number Two, but that eventually got shortened to just plain Mewtwo. It took many years to design the type of creature we wanted and make it psychic. It took years more to create a viable embryo. A lot of the embryos spontaneously aborted themselves after just a few short days. They tended to grow to full term in mere weeks. It-he was born using a 'cold hit'. Cold hit is our term for growing and designing a whole living creature from just a tiny DNA sample. Nobody really thought that our cold hit would amount to much of anything. Even Doctor Sinclair himself was pretty sure that we'd fail miserably. But to our wonder, our joy, our horror…we actually succeeded. We'd had a heck of a lot of false starts and failures, a whole lot of poor, pitiful creatures that had died just as they awakened for the very first time, or while they were still just little fetuses or even seriously tiny embryos. But this one grew, awakened…and stayed."   
  
Laura paused, then sighed. Everyone sat down atop the spiral stair for a rest. She gazed into empty space wistfully and said, "The very moment he first opened his eyes, we could tell that he was everything we had dreamed of…and so much more. He was very intelligent, very powerful and very psychic. He was magnificent! But Doctor Sinclair had made a terrible, terrible mistake. We all had shared in that mistake as well. He was far too powerful for us to control. And he was very, very hostile. Not even two full minutes after awakening, he destroyed this place and killed everyone…with just one exception…me. He spared me. I had been kind to him. I had tried to make Doctor Sinclair understand that we had created an intelligent being…and he saved my life as a gesture of gratitude. Since that day so very long ago, seems longer than it really was, I haven't even thought of Project Mewtwo once. But being back in here gives me a heck of a lot of questions. Especially since this place was completely demolished back then… What could possibly rebuild this place and make it be as it had been before it was completely destroyed? Does that mean something strange is afoot? Is he still alive right now? Is he okay? I'd like to thank him for helping me live through the total destruction of this place. Is he here? Mewtwo-my one and only feline savior-where are you?" George reassured her, "A big mutant cat can't go all that far in this here world without somebody noticing him. You'll find him again, Laura. One way or another, you will find him once again. Soon."  
  
Just as she fell silent, there was a loud crash. It startled everyone and they all looked around. At the top of the staircase was a huge door. Hannah said in a low, hoarse whisper, "Let's see what just made that sound. Help me with this door here. It looks like it'll take all of us to open it. When I say pull, we all pull at once, okay? This stupid thing must weigh a whole ton at the very least." Everyone quickly gathered in front of the huge door and picked handholds wherever handholds were readily available. Moving slowly and silently on well-oiled hinges, the door opened before their combined strength. They opened it about three feet and they all peeked around it. Everything was as dark as midnight on a new moon, but bright sporadic flashes of lightning lit things enough to see. The big room that the huge door opened upon was just like a large stone-based veranda. Three walls were made of glass, and they looked out on a boiling, churning mass of clouds. Standing in front of the gigantic window was what looked a little like both a cat and a man. Laura said softly, "Everyone, that is what was born from Project Mewtwo. We named him after the project, not having any better idea as to what to call him. His name is Mewtwo and he's kind of dangerous." William piped up, speaking for the first time, seeing as he now had something to say, "That's just fine, lady. But what's he doing?" Laura replied, "I honestly don't know. Your guess is just as good as mine here."   
  
Just then, Mewtwo, still oblivious to their presence because he wasn't bothering to scan for any uninvited guests, raised his right paw in the air and began to move it around in a slow circle. Everyone save for Laura quietly gasped in awe as a blue glow enveloped him. They all watched as the storm around the mansion began to roil more strongly. Hannah gasped, "The hurricane…it's his doing!" Laura piped up, "I know why. He wants to cause wholesale destruction. No-he wants to destroy Humanity!" William said, "We gotta stop him." Hannah finished, "You're right, dude. We have to stop him somehow. I'll lead the way in. Laura, I know you want to lead. I'm the captain here, so just do what I say." Upon saying that, she took a deep breath and stepped forward. She'd made the initial challenge. She hoped that she had the courage and the strength to back it up with.  
  
Mewtwo spun with feline grace as a female voice called his name. He looked and saw a small, soaked group of humans standing before him. The one in front, a female, said, "We will not permit your hurricane to destroy Humanity." Mewtwo raised both paws and pointed at them. As the blue glow gathered around his furry body again, he said coldly, (Not like it matters much to me, humans. I can kill all of you with a mere thought. It wouldn't be too hard for me. You threaten my plan. I can kill you just like I killed my creators before.) The leading female said, "Go ahead, then. We're calling your bluff." The blue glow around his body intensified and gathered down into his paws as he prepared to create an energy ball. But he stopped before he sent it out to seek their deaths. Hannah egged him on, saying, "You can't do it, can you? You can't kill!" The blue glow around his body intensified to very close to white as her words enraged him. He really didn't want to kill her just for talking, but he was sure that he had to do it. If he backed down at that point, they would take advantage of his weakness again. They were humans and humans always did that sort of thing to him. All humans were exactly the same. Humans were humans, and deserved to get exactly what they gave. Except for…her…   
  
Then a woman in a white dress stepped up. She looked strangely familiar. He got a powerful sense of recognition when she spoke. Her voice… Why did he feel like he knew her voice from somewhere? She said, "Don't bait him like that, Hannah. You really don't want him to get mad at you. He's a pretty okay fellow if you don't set him off. So just be nice to him if you value having a butt and a life. You're really cruising for spontaneous combustion, talking that way, you know that?" Hannah replied, "But he's going to-" The other woman promptly cut in, "We know. We know what he's planning to do. Chill out. Just back off and chill out. Let me handle this. Do it right now. Hannah White, you will back away from Mewtwo right this very instant. You will do as I command you to. Back away from him right this instant. Just move your stupid little butt. If you don't do exactly as I tell you to… Well, I just have one thing to ask you. Don't you like living?"   
Hannah obeyed the other woman's command. The other woman stepped closer and said, "Hello, Mewtwo. It's been a long while. Remember me? I'm Laura. You rescued me." Unafraid, she walked up to Mewtwo and laid her hand on his shoulder. She said, "You must have been through some pretty awful stuff to come to hate Humankind so much." Mewtwo replied; (That's right. My life's been just one long list of betrayals.) Laura said, "I know how that feels. That sort of thing happens to more people than you think. It happened to me, for instance. People mistreat other people because of fear, plain and simple. Fear of others because they are different. And you must have gotten it far worse than anyone else in all history ever has. But don't worry about that. Different is just another word for special. Different means special. But most people don't see that, even when it's blatantly obvious and right in front of their faces. It's actually one of our society's greatest weaknesses. We should welcome difference, not fear it." Mewtwo was shaking because of an emotional storm brewing inside him. He said, (I was planning to destroy all Humanity. But now that you're here-all of you-I can't do it. It's easier to kill a nameless, faceless group. It's hard when you know whom you're killing.) Laura replied, "Proven fact, Mewtwo. It's hard to kill." Mewtwo said, (I had a stint with Team Rocket after we parted ways. I heard from their leader that I was a biological weapon.) Laura replied, "That was it, but only at first. But we tossed that out the window about halfway through." Mewtwo fairly bristled. He snarled, (That doesn't change a thing! I was still meant to be a weapon!) Laura said to him in a calm voice, "You don't have to be just a weapon. You are who you choose to be. You know what that means. Don't you? You're only a weapon if you want to be a weapon. Do you really want to be a weapon?"   
  
Mewtwo relaxed visibly at that, seeming to droop like a withered flower. He replied, (No.) Laura said, "Then you aren't a weapon. You can be anything you want. But there's something I'd like to explain to you first. The circumstances of your creation, the secret of your birth…it all means nothing. I know you pretty good, Mewtwo. Your thoughts and feelings were always pretty readable to me. Don't blame yourself for that. You weren't projecting or anything. I just picked up the subtle nuances in your behavior in the short time we spent together. In all, we've spent about twelve minutes together. But I was able to read you anyway. It's a talent I have." She paused for a few seconds, fidgeting nervously, then said, "I'm sorry I diverged there. I tend to go off on tangents. As I was saying… People come from many different places, in many different ways. Society in general doesn't get it, but individual people do. It's not who you were that matters, it's who you are. And how you came to be doesn't even come up. And there is a place where all are equal, no matter who you are or where you're from. People come from all over and are the same. That place is located in a small town in the United States of America. I was born there, depressed and very suicidal. But, with help from many other people, I lived through it. Here I am, alive and kicking. So you see…appearance and origin have come to mean nothing to them. There are places where everybody is treated the same. If they would accept an alienated woman who messes around with DNA, a down-and-out aspiring artist, a serial slacker with no motivation and a former psycho with a killer reputation, they will certainly accept a two-legged telepathic cat. All people aren't the same and difference is actually a good thing. Now that you know that simple fact, will you believe my words? Will you try to trust me? I have one request. Let's stop looking at what's different about us and start looking at what's the same." Mewtwo laughed aloud. Then he said, (Of course. I'll do just that. And let me come with you to America. But first I'll get rid of this stupid hurricane. I made it, so I'll destroy it.) He held up his paw and concentrated. And the hurricane stopped. Just like that, it stopped. Laura said, "Thank you so much. You'll not regret it. Everything will be cool now. Okay, everyone! Problem solved! Let's go see about finding a way off this stupid old rock and back to civilization!"   
Soon they all stood outside. All of them, four normal humans and a big seven-foot tall two-legged telepathic cat, stood in a group. Mewtwo towered above them all. His purple eyes swept the featureless waves like a searchlight. No land in sight, save for that upon which they stood. Laura and the others, who had introduced themselves to him, held a quiet conversation off to one side. They thought to hide their words from his hearing, but he didn't need to hear them. Had he been completely deaf, he would still have heard them. They were discussing possible strategies for getting off the island and back to civilization in general. The discussion quickly grew heated, but calm was maintained. They didn't know that he heard, so he heard some very unflattering references to himself.   
  
"Maybe we can salvage the Freebird," Hannah suggested. William replied, "Nope. I say no way. Not a chance, either. The ship got smashed against the rocks like an eggshell. There won't be any pieces bigger than a toothpick. Bye-bye Freebird. Try again, lady." Laura said, "Is there anything here we can use?" Hannah replied, "Unless you propose taking the wooden banquet table that we saw on our way in and using it as a life raft, which is a totally stupid, lame excuse for a plan if I ever heard one, no." William piped up; "I don't suppose Wonder Cat there has a spare boat, does he?" Laura snarled, "Don't ever call him that, you narrow-minded nimrod!" George cut in, "He's absolutely right, you know. We're overlooking Cat Boy, there." With that, he pointed over at Mewtwo.   
  
Laura smacked him over the head. Husband or not, she was not about to stand by and let him badmouth her feline pal. Then she said, "Listen up, you guys. His name is not Wonder Cat, nor is it Cat Boy. His name is Mewtwo. Remember that well, all of you. His name is Mewtwo. Don't call him any bad names. Don't ever call him bad names. How would you like it if someone insulted you on the basis of the fact that you were different from him or her? Call him Mewtwo. That's his real name, guys. So call him Mewtwo."   
  
There was a very long pause, as everyone just stood mute while George rubbed his sore head. Laura said, "Let's all get back to the matter at hand. We have to get our sorry butts off this island somehow. But how do we do it? That's the big question. Anybody have any ideas?" William replied icily, "Just the same one as what George said before. I say we get rid of Fur Face there, cannibalize whatever wood there may be in that kooky dung heap we just left, build ourselves a little life raft with it and then scram." Laura simply kicked him straight in the off-limits area. He promptly fell down, gasping for air. She snarled, "Anyone else care to join him down on the ground? No? Then I suggest all of you listen up. We're all going, we're all going together, and we're taking Mewtwo with us. Any questions?" Hannah asked, "Just this one. Answer me this. How do you propose we get off this island?" Laura answered, "I'm at a total loss over here, guys. Don't look at me for all your answers. We have to brainstorm a little something to get us all out of here safely and in one piece. But, until we figure something out, I want you to know this: we gotta try to figure out a way to get our butts out of here without leaving Mewtwo behind. If you insist on leaving here without taking him along with you, then you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to sabotage all of your attempts to leave this island. No one, that's no one, leaves this here island without bringing Mewtwo along with him or her too. I'm not going, you're not going, and neither is anyone else. I wouldn't even let my own mother leave without him. Do you hear me? He more than deserves to get that second chance and new beginning I promised to him back there. I won't let him down and I won't let you let him down either. Okay? He is coming along with us…or else."   
  
Mewtwo decided to get them off the island. He wouldn't ask them or tell them. He'd just do it. He closed his big eyes and concentrated. Unnoticed by Laura and her friends, the blue glow enveloped him. The conversation stopped as the four humans felt themselves rising off the ground. Hannah shrieked and struggled. William froze. George looked around in wonder. Laura looked directly at Mewtwo, smiled and said, "Ah, dear friend. Again I owe you very much." Then she turned and barked, "Hannah! Freeze!" She did. William broke his paralysis and fairly bellowed, "Hold it! Wait a minute! He can fly?" Laura replied, "He's not really flying. He's levitating himself-and us. This is how he rescued me from the burning building. It's like I said. All we dreamed of…and more."  
  
Beginning to lose their fear and just plain enjoy it, the four flew onward beside Mewtwo. Hannah was doing the backstroke. Laura spread her arms like a bird. George just sort of floated, watching everything. William posed like Superman. Mewtwo hung in the sky in the midst of Laura and her friends, looking like he was sliding along on his belly. He gave her a wry sideways glance that was full of wry, ironical humor. (They sure seem to shift their opinions awfully quickly,) Mewtwo said, (Is this normal for humans?) Laura replied, "I guess you could put it that way. And yes, this is normal. So you don't have to worry too much about all of us. We're not too afraid of extreme heights or of not being in contact with the ground. We've also seen everything you can do. So we're pretty much ready for anything you can possibly throw at us now." Mewtwo said, (Is that so, Laura?) He coiled his power within him and prepared to release it. He continued; (Anything I can throw at you, huh? I think I'll just have to take you up on that bet. With my special power, I can do just about anything. Check this action out.) With that, he swept them screaming below the waves. Surprisingly, they did not drown. Mewtwo said, (My shield can keep us safe and dry underwater. One major drawback, though. There's a limited air supply in here, so we can't stay down here very long. And even that isn't all there is to my power. One… two… three… TELEPORT!) They were suddenly back up in the sky. Mewtwo said, (It's all based on simple line-of-sight stuff. Basically, if I can't look at it, I can't teleport myself over to it. And there's still more stuff that I can do. And there are still more things I want to show you. Excuse me, please. Does anyone have a bandanna or a spare sock or something like that?) Hannah had a bandanna that she no longer had any use for. She held it out to Mewtwo. Instead of taking it from her, he asked, (Would you please be so kind as to drop it and let it fall, please?) She did exactly as he asked her to. As it fell toward the ocean far below, it burst into sudden and violent flame. Mewtwo nodded happily, confirming that it was indeed he who had set it on fire. He said, (I don't know how I do it. I just do it. And I can also do something else that is very like it. You saw my energy spheres, but this is different. Behold the power of thunder!) Moving like a pitcher in baseball, he heaved a super colossal lightning bolt across the sky. Then he said, (You really thought you'd seen everything I could do, huh? That for your expectations concerning my limits!) As everyone watched, Mewtwo seemed to shake all over. In their minds, they heard his laughter. He seemed proud, happy to show off, and amused at their complete amazement. George piped up, "I bet if there was anyone below us to see this spectacular demonstration, they'd be flipping their lids right about now. Yo, big cat, are you doing anything to insure that we won't be picked up on anybody's radar and misidentified as a group of enemy aircraft going in for a bombing run?" Both Laura and Mewtwo understood that George didn't really mean it as an insult. His lighthearted reference to Mewtwo as 'big cat' was like a little nickname. Mewtwo just looked totally blank. He evidently hadn't understood the question. That was a first in that department.   
  
It was then that they all became aware of the surface-to-air missile speeding their way. All that saved them from certain and total annihilation was Mewtwo's quick reflexes. He threw up a shield and swooped straight downward. The missile, which was fortunately not a tracking missile, arced over them all and then crashed into the sea so far below the lot of them. Mewtwo released a huge mental sigh and said, (That was way too close!) George fairly shrieked, "Don't just hover, big cat! We've been targeted! We gotta get our sorry butts out of the sky-pronto!" Mewtwo replied, (Okay, then. Hang on to your hats, folks. I'm going to take us on a little Mach 3 cruise now.) With that simple warning, they were going well past the speed of sound. They were virtually undetectable as they cruised mere inches above the surging waves. Mewtwo said in a totally fake calm voice, (We're going to reach land in just a few short seconds, okay? Then we'll be perfectly safe from those funky old missiles and anything else airborne that might possibly decide to go after the lot of us. Aircraft, birds, bugs and anything else airborne included.) Sure enough, they were on land in just a few short seconds. Soon they stood on a small beach. The beach was nothing more than a simple thin strip of white sand between the ocean and a dense jungle. They could hear birdcalls, monkeys and all sorts of cool jungle sounds.   
  
Hannah and William sat down on the sand, worn out by the sheer terror of the flight. George and Laura roamed around the beach, looking for any signs that would tell them where they were. Mewtwo had decided to relax a bit. He now stood knee-deep in the surf, watching minnows swim in the shallows. He chased after them, pouncing and almost catching them but not quite. (Come here come here come here, little minnows,) he said. Hannah watched him frolic. He reminded her of a young child, but he also reminded her of a cat staring at a fish tank. Laura followed a strange pattern imprinted in the sand. After a few feet, she said thoughtfully, "Hmmm… Tank treads? What in the heck would a tank be doing on a beach?" Almost as if cued by her rhetorical query, a strong, compelling voice barked, "Freeze!" A group of camouflaged soldiers burst forth from the jungle. William, Hannah, Laura and George were roughly herded together at gunpoint. The soldiers had generally overlooked Mewtwo because he was in a crouch. In a crouch, he looked like an albino panther. He stood and fairly sprinted at the soldiers. As he charged, he snarled, (Let them go or by the blackened bones of my creators I swear to you-Let them go! Now!) The familiar blue glow enveloped him and he created an energy ball. Just as he prepared to hurl it at the soldiers, one of them grabbed Laura and used her as a human shield. He pressed his gun to her neck. He said, "I'll shoot her. I swear I will. Back off and stop with the glowing power thing. Do it now. You hear me? Back off or the woman dies!" Laura begged, "Mewtwo, please…" He did what the soldier demanded. He dropped his shield and let the energy ball dissipate. William, being handcuffed, snarled, "Stupid hairball ain't good for nothing." As they were taken away, Laura kicked him yet again. They were separated from Mewtwo as they were dragged along. The instant that they were separated, Laura began to shout, curse and struggle.  
  
Time passed. The four of them were eventually released. And they knew why they had been arrested. They had inadvertently stumbled upon a secret military base. Upon being released, Laura demanded, "Where is Mewtwo? Tell me! I know you have him. I demand that you release him now! I will not be denied! Release Mewtwo now! Now! Now! Do it right now, before I get really mad! I demand freedom for my best buddy, Mewtwo!" The general replied, "Are you talking about that cat creature you were with? Ah, yes. It's a fine specimen at the very least. They're looking it over even now. I imagine it'll give them years of fun." Laura snarled back coldly, "Listen up, brainless one. Mewtwo is not an animal. Mewtwo is a he. And I demand his prompt release." The general replied, "No way, lady. Give up such a precious find? Never! Now go!" The four ran into the jungle at top speed. Once they were out of all his sight, though, they immediately doubled back.   
  
They mugged four soldiers who had passed by in a Jeep, tied them up and stole their uniforms. Leaving four soldiers tied to a tree clad only in their underpants, they drove back to the base. They passed the guards with no problem, seeing as it was midnight by that time and no one could see anything very well. As they slowly drove toward the loading dock, Laura closed her eyes and concentrated. She focused on one thought with all her mental might and tried to send it to Mewtwo. She thought to him with all the strength of body and mind that she could muster: Don't be afraid. Help is on its way. Far away, she was sure Mewtwo heard. They parked the Jeep next to a big truck and got out. They strolled into the base through the deserted loading dock and immediately grabbed wooden clipboards off a large pile of cardboard crates stacked near the big metal door. Keeping their heads down and acting like they knew what they were doing and where they were going, they began to explore the base. They had no idea of the base's layout, but Mewtwo had gotten her thought-message and was sending out a psychic beacon to guide them to him. Laura, for one, was on the verge of complete panic. After a few long minutes, they reached a lab. There was a large cage sitting in the corner. Mewtwo sat in that cage. He turned toward her and gave her a quiet, wry look. She stepped closer, barely suppressing a feeling of utter revulsion at the sight of her semi-feline pal, who was far more human than some humans she knew, caged like a mere animal. She looked the big cage over. It had a simple padlock, which would be relatively easy to open. She said, "Yo, Hannah. You got a hairpin I could borrow for a couple minutes?" Hannah did, so she handed it to Laura. Laura replied, "Thanks so much for letting me borrow this." Then she said, "Don't worry a bit, Mewtwo. I'll get you out of here in just a few minutes."   
  
An instant later, Laura was blindly fiddling around inside the lock with the hairpin. Everyone, including Mewtwo, was holding his or her breath. Then the lock snapped open. Everyone sighed in relief. The cage door swung open and Mewtwo stepped out. As soon as he was outside his cage, an alarm rang out. Metal bars slid across every exit. They were trapped. Everyone crowded together. Mewtwo and Laura were at the center. They were in a mind link, discussing possible methods of escape at the speed of light. Sending a stream of thoughts to Mewtwo, Laura said, This base is just a little one-story building! There is nothing above us but the ceiling and air! No one will be hurt! There will only be property damage and no injuries whatsoever, so let's blast up through this here ceiling and just head right off! Mewtwo replied quickly, (Right you are!) They were enveloped in Mewtwo's bright sphere of blue psychic energy. Mewtwo looked up and, at his psychic command, a huge invisible fist punched a large hole in the plaster ceiling. William gasped, "Wow! You can talk about power, but this something else entirely! I've never seen a cat do that before! Ever!" Laura replied, "Go right ahead. Talk about power all you want. You haven't seen squat yet. He can do lots of cool stuff with his power. This great, unnatural power is his birthright, the birthright of his Mew mother and the birthright of the many children that he will someday come to have, I hope and pray."  
  
An instant later, they were rocketing up through that hole and into the indigo-hued night sky. George whooped, "Yahoo! By the time they figure out that we're actually in the air, we'll be long gone!" Laura turned to Mewtwo and said, "Still… We gotta get out of the area and we gotta do it fast. Everyone okay with that? Take us down very low please, Mewtwo. Stop five feet above tree level, if it wouldn't be too hard for you. We have to get moving, so just do what I say and everything will be just fine, I hope. I know just what I'm doing here, I think. We really have no time to argue about anything like chain of command or who-tells-who-to-do-what on this little expedition, so please pardon me if I sound like I'm ordering you around, but…HIT IT!" As per her first request, Mewtwo took them down low, to just barely above the treetops. As per her second request, he hit Mach 3 from a dead stop, taking Laura and her friends with him. Like an incredibly huge low-flying blue comet, they streaked due north, a direction chosen by an unspoken consensus. Everyone whooped and hollered like insane maniacs, really enjoying the ride. Mewtwo kept their speed up and made the blue energies emitted from his shield invisible. He knew when he would do each part of Laura's plan to escape from the general area.  
  
Many miles from the base they had just escaped from, Mewtwo took them up high. They cruised slowly, looking at the landmasses far below. Mewtwo asked, (Does anybody know where the heck we are?) William knew his geography quite well, and it was something along the lines of basic elementary to all of them. He said, "Well, look at that! We're above Brazil right now. The base we just busted out of must have been in, like, northern Argentina or something. We were right in choosing to go north. If we want to reach America, we have to keep going north. At Mach 3, we should get there in no time at all. Home sweet home, here we come, and quite fast, too." Laura piped up, "Hey. Wait a minute, everybody. We're over Brazil now? So we're dead above the Amazon rainforest right now! Mewtwo, the Amazon rainforest is where we found the fossil we made you from. As you may well know, Mew is your mommy-sort of. Mew lived in the Amazon rainforest. That makes the Amazon rainforest your ancestral home. Since you can hit ridiculously high speeds with the greatest of ease, I think we have plenty of time for a pit stop in the jungle. If we go down there, then maybe…just maybe…" She trailed off and looked away from them, directing her gaze downward to the deep greenness of Brazil's rainforests. George sort of flapped up like a spastic bird on hallucinogenic drugs, utterly weightless in the grip of Mewtwo's levitation field, and asked, "Maybe what?"   
She said, "I was there, at the excavation site where we found the specimen we sought. There was a general, unspoken, unscientific theory buzzing around the camp right after we found the fossil we wanted. We all felt a presence near us. Something was watching us do our work. What if the little bone we'd found didn't belong to the Mew, but a Mew? We thought maybe there was a live Mew somewhere deep in the jungle, far away but nevertheless there. Judging from the electrochemical reactions occurring in your brain just before you woke up; you definitely sensed the presence of something far away. That proved the 'More Than One Mew' theory for the lot of us. Our plan was to go and find that Mew right after you woke up, Mewtwo. We were going to take you with us as an equal partner in the search for that little Mew. We all had such high hopes for you. But Doctor Sinclair just wanted to run his pathetic little tests on you. He died for his mistakes. My friends died for his mistakes too. In all the time since you rescued me from the burning laboratory, I have only had just one little thing to ask you. Why did you do it?"   
  
Mewtwo would have known the pain she felt at remembering the past even if he hadn't been psychic. His emotions rose to match hers in pain and intensity. He replied slowly, unable to meet her gaze, (I never told you this, Laura. I never told anyone. It was all an accident. A terrible, terrible accident caused by an inexperienced rookie cat unable to control his power. The basis for my hooking up with Team Rocket was…I had to train myself to control my dangerous powers. Oh, I fell for their multitudinous lies all the way. Hook, line and sinker too. I wanted to learn to use my powers correctly. They said they could teach me to do so. Before I even met him, the leader of Team Rocket found my weakness and was able to exploit it. But he used me. He used me. That was my first taste of betrayal and I am now quite sure that I hate it with passionate intensity.) Laura said, "If I didn't understand it before, I do now." She pantomimed making a toast. "To you, Mewtwo," she said, "May you always stay as utterly innocent as you are right now. Your thoughts are pure, your actions are kind and your words speak only love. You are like a child. May you never, ever be forced to grow up and become as mean as everyone else."  



	2. Meet Mew And More

Flailing around like a fish out of water, William moved up beside Laura. He elbowed her and said, "Hey, lady, why are we wasting time? We got the people, we got the one who can lead us to our goal, so what are we waiting around for? Let's go find that Mew!" Mewtwo obeyed his order. It was meant as nothing more than an enthusiastic suggestion, but Mewtwo treated it as an order. He said, (Okay then, William my friend! Here we go now! TO THE DEPTHS OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST AS FAST AS LIGHTNING!)   
  
Then he took them on a power dive straight down toward the rainforest so far below. The leading edge of their protective blue bubble began to shine bright red with the heat caused by the speed of their descent. Laura thought Mewtwo looked a tad strained, but his shield never faltered even for a moment. Just a thousand meters above the highest trees, Mewtwo pulled the blue bubble to a screeching halt. The swift stop made Laura and her friends bounce around like rubber balls. Mewtwo said a quick apology and dissolved the shield. Without a pause, they were making a slow, controlled descent down through the thick treetops. Mere seconds later, they all stood close together on the moist, leaf-covered ground. Everyone was rubbernecking, looking at everything they could see, even Mewtwo. Then Laura, in her 'unstoppable arrow in flight to the target' mode, said, "That's enough gawking for today, folks! We have a mission to run and a Mew to find! Let's move out!" She quickly took the lead, Mewtwo right beside her. She turned to him and said, "Okay, Mewtwo, listen up. I want you to do a narrow spectrum scan, radius at two hundred meters. You find even a small trace of anything that seems even remotely like a Mew, you sing out pronto. I want to know the instant you find anything suspicious. Is that absolutely clear to you?" Mewtwo replied, (Yes, it's clear. I'll be starting that scan. Let's get the job started. While I scan, you guys all look and listen for anything.)  
  
A few minutes later, Mewtwo said, (We're in luck! I've got a reading on Mew coming from only fifty meters away.) Spontaneously correct as usual, Laura replied, "I want you to nullify our psychic signatures. We don't want her to know we're here yet." He did. Moving slowly and silently, the group peered through a thick wall of broad, flat leaves. There was a clearing. In that clearing was a small bubbling brook. And, standing atop of a largish flat rock in the middle of the brook, there was a tiny white creature. It looked kind of like a kitten, but it was shaped more like a tiny kangaroo. A long, thin tail stuck up from behind it, waving in the air. It was Mew. She was alternating between slapping the bubbles in the water with her tiny paws and playfully chasing small iridescent flies. Whichever of those two things she did, she made a high, warbling sound that could only be one thing: laughter. Everyone, including Mewtwo, was totally knocked for a loop by her out-and-out cuteness. After a few seconds of slack-jawed gaping at the tiny psychic kitten, Mewtwo slowly looked over at Laura and said coolly, (I'm going to just plain step out and say hello. I'm betting Mew will know me because I know her through my psychic powers and it has to work both ways. When I give the signal, you step out too.) Not giving her any time to reply one way or the other, he stepped out of his hiding spot. Mew spotted him in an instant and lifted up into the air with a weird cheeping sound. Laura and the rest breathed a soft, almost inaudible cry of wonder. Mew made as if she was going to fly away, but she stopped in midair. Instead, she slowly floated a bit closer to Mewtwo. Mewtwo cautiously reached out to touch her with one paw, a paw almost as big as her entire little body, and said, (I knew I'd know you before I met you. I think you dreamed me into life. I knew you'd know me before you met me. I have been waiting all my life.) Mew cautiously floated a bit closer, then bounced on his paw a few times before finally settling down on his bony shoulder. "Mew," she said to him, "Mew, mew, mew, mew." Then she giggled. Mewtwo laughed too. He turned toward Laura and said, (You can come out now. It's okay.) They did. Mew lightly bounced off of Mewtwo's shoulder and just plain hovered in the air. She floated right over to Laura and sniffed her gently. "Mew," she said, "Mew? Mew, mew." Laura thought she understood what Mew was saying to her. She replied, "Oh! You remember me? Yes, I was there at the excavation. You saw me? That explains why I felt like we were being watched! It was you who was watching us back then?" Mew chirped assent. Laura and Mew had become friends just like that. She turned to her three friends and said, "Okay, guys. We finished our mission to find Mew. Let's go home!" She paused, realizing she'd forgotten something, then said to Mew, "Would you like to come with us?" Mew bounced in the air a few times, chirped, did an aerial somersault and landed on Mewtwo's shoulder. She was going with them. Mew giggled and so did Mewtwo. Everyone else joined in, laughing all together, exulting in the presence of the cute, irresistibly cuddly white kitten that had just joined the team. Everyone was chattering away about Mew until Laura said, "Excuse me, everyone…"  
In just a few seconds, they were back in the air again. Mew and Mewtwo divided up the job of levitation between them. Mewtwo said, (Okay, Laura. Where to?) She replied, "Heck with timely arrivals! We've got all the time in the world, Mewtwo. Let's go hang out for a while. To the southern coast of Florida, Mewtwo! We deserve a little down time for all we've gone through. A nice beach, some warm sun and a little fun, Mewtwo. It sounds nice, don't it? It's about time I started showing you the nice things about this world. You've only seen the bad things about the world and the people in it. You deserve more. You deserve so much more. And you will get it or I ain't Laura Meisenheimer."   
  
As they soared high overhead, William noticed a strange gathering of clouds far out in the Atlantic. After a moment, he said, "Holy whatever! That's a hurricane! What now what now… Laura! Mewtwo! Mew! Oh, what the heck. Everybody! It looks like we may not have a vacation after all! Take a look down there pronto!" Laura replied, "Right you are, William. We may not have a vacation, but we now have a choice to make. Do we fly on or do we go down into southern Florida to protect the women and the children? Let's have ourselves a little vote on the matter. All who say to just fly on and forget all about this little dilemma, raise their hands right now." No one raised his or her hand. They all wanted to go help and defend against the hurricane. The decision was completely unanimous. George said, "We can protect those people down there, if you're wondering. We have a regular feline Tower of Power and a wily little kitten whose cuteness belies her innate strength. If I'm right about this sort of stuff, all of us humans working together, pooling what precious little telepathic ability we may have in close conjunction with both Mew and Mewtwo's efforts, can beat this lousy thing but good. We can do it and that's all there is to it. We have a big job to do now, right? So let's not waste any more time." Laura said, "Right you are, man. And there's nothing to it but to do it. Let's get going, Mewtwo. Come on, Mew." They swooped downward like hawks. William proudly hummed the Superman theme. George whooped with pure happiness. Hannah sang and wiggled happily. Laura just chatted with Mew and Mewtwo, seeing if she could get more acquainted with the two of them while she got them both acquainted with each other.   
  
The hurricane was predicted to make landfall in Miami. The evacuation was already well underway, so there weren't many people left in the city. Mew, Mewtwo and the four humans swooped down on the beach. They tried, anyway. But the beach was underwater. So they landed on a nearby freeway ramp. George yelled over the howling wind and slashing rain, "Yo! Laura! What do we do now?" Laura shouted back, "What? I can't hear a thing!" William yelled, "Did you just say something?" Hannah screamed, "What?"   
  
Mewtwo took over in an instant, linking their thoughts so they didn't have to try to hear each other over the loud storm. George repeated, "What now?" Laura replied, "We have to gather everyone fast. A small shield is easier to maintain than a large shield. Mew, you'll be in charge of the shield. Mewtwo, you try and dissipate the storm. It shouldn't be an impossible endeavor. You did it back on the island. What's that island called, anyway?" Mewtwo replied, (I call it New Island, because it was where I was going to change the world to something new.) Laura said, "Right. New Island it is. But let's get to the point. You did it before. Not only that, but you handled that hurricane just fine. If you could do it then, you can certainly do it now. You should try, anyway." Mewtwo cut in, (That was because I made it. If I had created this one, I could get rid of it just fine. But this one made itself. I can try to influence the forces at work within it, but I'm not sure if it'll work.) Laura replied, "Give it your best shot. If you can't handle it, we'll need you to help Mew with the shield. But, for now, we need to gather everyone together here and fast." Mewtwo said, (Allow me to handle this job, please. With a little help from Mew…?)   
Mewtwo reached out with his power, blanketing Miami in a cloud of his awareness. Everyone who still remained in it fell under his control. There were twenty people in all. Mew helped, getting those he couldn't reach. They guided the people under their control out into the open. Once they were in the open, the two worked together to levitate them to where the shield was. Once they were under the shield, Mew and Mewtwo released them. They ended up staring at Mew and Mewtwo. Laura stepped up and tried to speak to them. But they were too busy talking to each other and gawking to listen. So Mewtwo took a hand in it. He stepped forward and yelled, (LISTEN UP, YOU PEOPLE!) They paid attention to Laura. Mewtwo stepped back and said, (Thank you so much.) Laura said, Mew projecting her words into the crowd's minds, "Here's the reason we brought you here. This area is shielded from both wind and water. Mew, this little kitten here, will be shielding you from the hurricane. Meanwhile, Mewtwo, this big feline fellow over here, will be working to dissipate the storm. So sit down, relax and don't worry. Everything's under control." The crowd sat down. The pavement was wet, but that was it for water.   
  
Mew's shield worked very well. Mewtwo said to Laura, (I'll have to go outside the shield to handle the storm better. Hold down the fort and don't leave the shield for anything, okay? Here I go.) He passed through the shield as if it weren't there at all and stood alone in the face of the storm's full fury. Laura shivered as she watched Mewtwo getting battered by the storm. She felt like throwing up then. He appeared to be in no small amount of pain. She could taste it. She could practically feel it. And yet he went on. How brave! He was pounded by waves, pummeled by rain and lashed by fierce winds. The familiar blue glow enveloped his body as he concentrated his full power on the storm. He was pushing himself to his limit, but the storm resisted his attempts to dissipate it. She wanted to go and encourage him. But she couldn't just leave the shield to go see him.   
  
Minutes passed, Mewtwo tried his best, and still the storm raged on. Laura decided to risk it. She had to tell Mewtwo to return to the shield and take a break. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the shield. An instant later, she was assaulted by rain and wind. Struggling against the wind's awesome power, she walked up to Mewtwo. She laid a hand on his furry shoulder. The blue glow around him died as he quit using his power. He looked at her, shocked to see her outside the shield. She could sense that her leaving the shield worried him to no end. He wanted her to just turn around and go right back in the shield immediately. But she wouldn't do it until she had delivered her message/orders to him. She yelled at the top of her lungs, trying to be heard over the roaring storm, "Mewtwo! Go back in the shield and take a break! You can try again in a few-YIKES!" A monster wave swept over them. Mewtwo threw up a reflexive shield around only himself. The wave hit Laura full force. In a short instant, she was gone. Mewtwo looked around and was shocked to find himself alone. Her cry of shocked fright still resonated loudly in his mind. The water had taken her and that meant she could be… Mewtwo screamed, (Laura! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!) His psychic power responded to his horror. In an instant, he was enveloped in a white glow. A beam of energy stabbed forth from his eyes and lanced into the clouds like a burning knife. It shone for just a short moment. Then the beam died. White fire was visible within the dark clouds, flickering and blazing. Then the hurricane…exploded. Small gray clouds went careening across the sky as a torrential gush of water fell from where the storm had been. In a single explosive instant, the skies had been made clear. Mewtwo didn't care that he had succeeded. He just wondered where Laura was. He saw a small bundle of white floating far out on the placid waves. Calling on his power again, Mewtwo levitated the white bundle over to where he stood. It was Laura, sure enough. She didn't seem to be breathing. Mewtwo touched her and said, (Laura, can you hear me? Are you all right?) There was no reply for a while. Enough time passed for Mewtwo to think she was dead. Then Laura began to cough wildly. Between coughs, she said, "I think I swallowed a carp. Hope it wasn't radioactive." After gaining control over her coughing fit, she sat up and shook herself off. Then she looked out at the waves with an angry expression and said, "I hate water! I hate it!" Mewtwo helped her to stand back up. She looked out to sea again, this time with a frightened expression. She said, "Mewtwo, we have a giant problem." Mewtwo asked, (Problem? What problem?) She lunged to her feet, grabbed his paw and did her level best to drag him back toward the shield. Mew had lowered it, but Laura shouted, "Mew! Put the shield back up! Mewtwo! Help her with it! We're not in the clear just yet! There's a tsunami coming!" That got Mewtwo moving. He shook free of her grip, grabbed her and leapt into the crowd. The shield reappeared, double strength this time. Everyone shook with fright, Laura most of all. Twenty-six pairs of eyes watched the horizon with dread. They knew it was coming. But where was it? The tsunami appeared as an undulating line on the horizon. In a few seconds, it towered over them. Then it crashed down. Everyone screamed, including Mewtwo. He shouted, (The pressure's too much for me! I'm taking us up!) The bubble rocketed up off the submerged ground. They all howled in sheer fright as the big bubble that contained them plowed upward through about fifty feet of murky seawater. Screams of fear changed to cries of wild elation as they exploded out of the water and into the sky. Everyone except Mewtwo's friends cried out. They were flying! They had risen from certain death and now they flew through the air like a flock of birds.  
  
Mewtwo asked Laura, (How did you know about the tsunami? I couldn't see it coming or anything.) Laura replied, "I really don't know how I knew. I just knew. It happened when I was in the water, struggling to reach the surface. I felt this weird sort of…tension in the water. Then it hit me. I felt this sort of itching tickle in my hand, like something inside my skin was scratching to get out. I concentrated on it, as I always do to block out my headaches because I couldn't afford any distractions. After all, I was trying to avoid dying. But when I focused on it, something hidden deep within my mind…opened up. All of a sudden, I saw it, but not with my real eyes. It was more like a movie playing behind my eyes. I knew for sure that it was real, but I don't know how I knew it. I somehow knew it was a vision of something that either was happening or would soon happen. That was when you pulled me out of the water. And that was how I saved us." Mewtwo was kind of shocked. He said, (Laura, it sounds to me like an episode of clairvoyance. On some level, you are developing psychic powers. And your genetic code has been altered.) Laura said, "What? But how can this be? Wait! How could I have been stupid enough to think that there would be no consequences for my accident?" Mewtwo said, (What?)  
She said, "There was an accident in the lab just three days before you awakened. Judy dropped a vial of DNA extract from the fossilized bone. That was Mew's unaltered DNA. I was helping her and I cut my hand on a piece of shattered glass so bad that I needed ten stitches. I was quarantined for a day for safety reasons, but nothing remarkable happened, except the cut healed in half a day. I've always healed fast, a product of a hyperactive metabolism, but that was a record. I thought nothing of it, seeing as large wounds heal faster. Just as I thought nothing of the 'accidents' that started to happen all around me. Things would fall, shift, sway, and even tip over… Everybody considered it to be just a coincidence, including myself. A rather wild coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless."   
  
Laura stared down at her hand for a few seconds. It looked as if she'd had no accident, for her flesh was unmarred, save for a small line. Then she turned back to Mewtwo and continued, "The weirdest thing happened when you were present. You were raging and the lab was rapidly becoming an inferno. I was off to the side somewhere, flipping my lid. Wait a second, do you remember flinging a table at someone?" Mewtwo replied, (Sort of. I didn't quite see the person I flung it at.) Laura said, "That was me. And you were dead on target, too. It would have killed me. It should have. I remember seeing it flying at my face. I cringed, for I knew death was coming. Then the healed cut on my hand throbbed. It felt like something was being released from the wound. Then I heard a crash. The table had hit the wall, five feet to my left. Somehow, it was turned aside. And, just before I saw the tsunami in my mind, the healed cut began to hurt again. Every strange occurrence, the bigger ones at least, seems to be preceded by pain in the scar."   
  
Mewtwo said, (You can access it consciously too. I'm the example. That scar seems to be the focus of your budding power and maybe you can use your new powers through it. Concentrate on it. Focus on it. Put your mind, heart and soul into the concentration.) Laura replied, "Okay. I'll try it." She held her hand out before her, palm up, and stared at the scar. Her eyes drifted closed and her breathing slowed as she seemingly slipped into a trance. Mewtwo hung in the air beside her, for everyone was still floating around. Nothing happened for a while, but Mewtwo could sense some sort of power building. Then a bright white glow spread around her hand. That was all for a few long minutes. Then a winding ribbon of pure light erupted from the scar on her hand. It trailed straight upward, waving side to side lazily. After a few seconds, it wrapped its glowing length around her. Her entire body was enshrouded in white. It looked like she was in a cocoon. Using his psychic powers, Mewtwo could tell what was going on. Laura's mind was concentrated on what she was doing almost completely. She was pure psychic force. Her psychic power was running rampant through her entranced body, changing her form, rearranging her genetic code and unleashing psychic powers undreamed of by anyone on Earth except for the scientists who had been working on Project Mewtwo so long ago.   
  
After what seemed like a very long time, the light faded away, revealing a very changed Laura. In fact, it didn't appear to be Laura at all. It looked a little like a newer, stronger version of Mewtwo crossed with a human. It was Laura, all right, but she wasn't even close to resembling the woman she'd been moments before. She had a long, slim, muscular tail, for one thing. And, instead of normal five-fingered human hands, she had slender, furry, elegant three-fingered paws. Her slim form was much more streamlined. She was also completely and totally naked, but it didn't matter all that much because she was covered all over with short, downy white fur. And she had wings! Vast, white bird wings adorned her furry back. She had ears like a cat, too. They swiveled in different directions in response to sounds. As Mewtwo and the others watched, Laura's tail swished lazily and she opened her eyes. Her eyes were very big and sky blue, just like Mew's eyes, and they sparkled. She said in a happy, chirping voice, "Well, I think I did something major back there. I feel different now, somehow." Mewtwo replied, (You certainly did do something big back there. Take a look at yourself.) She promptly flipped her lid upon seeing her newer, furrier body. Then she said in awe, "Cool! I'm different! I'm like you now! This is certainly a good thing!" She turned from Mew and Mewtwo to her husband, George. Then she used her new wings to flutter over to him. She said sadly, "I'm so, so sorry, George. I'm not the woman you thought I was. Heck, I'm not even the woman I thought I was. You made a vow of eternal love to Laura. You did not make that vow to Mewthree. Because of this new, unexpected change of both body and soul, we can no longer remain together as husband and wife. Please…forgive me for this, George."   
  
She turned away and flew back to Mew and Mewtwo. She said, "I got a new science job after the incident where you destroyed the lab. I still do genetics. And I was given free run of the facility. Basically, I can study and research whatever I want. For months I couldn't decide what to do. Now that you're here…you and Mew…I know what I want to do with my life. There is only one Mewtwo and you're it. There are, at most, just a few Mews in the world. When I finish my life's work, there will be many, many Mews and at least a hundred million Mewtwos. I can see it all now. Cities where humans and psychic felines, such as both of you, can work together without any prejudice or bigotry! Great clouds of tiny Mews, darkening the skies! A whole entire country created for and created by cat people like you…The United Republic of Mewtwo! A large, thriving colony of Mews situated in the heart of the Amazon rainforest! A vast city that contains no humans at all! Human children, Mew children and Mewtwo children going to school together! State sanctioned classes on the control and management of psychic powers!" She noticed that she was shouting in her excitement, so she calmed down. A few minutes later, she said quietly, "A happy world with many Mews and a billion Mewtwos, a world where all of these wondrous creatures may roam around freely. That is my one true dream now."   
  
Mew seemed to smile. So did Mewtwo. She said, "Hey. I know scientists did bad things to you, Mewtwo. And I, however unwillingly, was one of them. But now I feel that, by giving the world a gift of miraculous creatures like you two psychic cats, I can finally atone for my…sins…" She clenched her new paws into fists and screamed to the heavens above, "I should have stopped them earlier! I should have taken a stand!" Crystalline tears welled in her sky blue eyes. An instant later, she roughly wiped the tears from her eyes, as if she were disgusted at her display of emotion. She continued, "I knew it was wrong. That was why I made plans to steal you away from there right after you awakened…and why I sang lullabies to you in that tube. I talked to you, I told you stories, I pretended you could hear me… On some level, I think you responded. Even though you weren't awake, I had the feeling that, somehow, you were glad I came. Do you remember anything from before you awakened? Words, music, anything?" Mewtwo thought about it for a few long seconds, then said, (I dreamed nonstop before I awakened. The dreams changed and shifted around like clouds in the sky. But there was always some element that remained the same through them all, and that was a song. The dreams changed and flowed like water in a river during a colossal rainstorm, but the song was always there. Okay, let me see if I can remember the words. It's so close and yet so very, very far away from me in time and also in my mind…) He tried to remember, but failed. Then he said, (I think the best way to start is with what I remember from the dreams.) Mewthree replied, "Go for it, big cat pal. I think you'll know it when you think of it. I always sang the same song, because it was the only song I could remember all the words to. Sure I tried many others, but I didn't know any of the words that went with them. I called it the Feline Lullaby because it had everything to do with you, and you were a genuine feline. The real, official name of it is 'Crash and Burn' by Savage Garden."  
  
He closed his eyes and relaxed. As he slipped back into his memory, he narrated what he remembered. He said slowly, (Floating… Floating… I see the crystal clear water… The dancing bubbles… And I see you, little kitten creature, dancing so beautifully beneath the waves. Who are you? Why do I feel so connected to you? You dart into a forest of seaweed and are gone in a flash, little kitten creature. If you are no longer here to see, why do I still remain here? I hear the voice next, singing so sweetly of another world… Your song…so beautiful… I can almost hear the words… When you feel all alone…)   
  
He slowly, haltingly sang the words in the tune he vaguely remembered, but another far more beautiful voice slowly eclipsed his psychic words. He listened to the song and was almost lost in a wild wave of pent-up emotions he hardly knew he'd felt so long ago. He remembered the song and the images it had conjured up of an angelic protector… Mewtwo's heart almost broke under the assault of pure beauty and memory as Mewthree sang the song Laura had once used as a lullaby for a sleeping cat in a tank of fluid.   
  
"When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold  
When darkness is upon your door and   
You feel like you can't take anymore  
  
Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone  
  
When you feel all alone  
And a loyal friend is hard to find  
You're caught on a one-way street   
With the monsters in your head  
When hopes and dreams are far away and  
You feel like you can't face the day  
Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone  
  
Because there's always been heartache and pain  
And when it's over you'll breathe again  
You'll breathe again  
  
When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart  
  
Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone…"  
  
Mewtwo said, (Oh God…Laura…This is it…) Mewthree replied, "I'm not Laura anymore, silly cat. I'm Mewthree. Changing subjects, where should we drop these folks off?" Mewtwo said, (I have no idea.) They were quiet. Then Mewthree said, "I got it! Washington D.C! Nobody can deny our existence if we drop these folks off on the White House lawn! Follow me!" The two psychic cats did so. Speeding downward and laterally through the sky, they were at their destination, the capital of America, in mere minutes.   
  
The three cats and twenty-three people landed on the White House lawn. It took a few minutes for a largish crowd of government bureaucrats to gather around them. Mewthree decided to be the one to speak because she could do it aloud. She said, "Is the President among you?" An immaculate middle-aged man stepped forward and said, "That would be me." She stepped up to him and he practically freaked out. She smiled gently, serving to calm him ever so slightly. Then she said to him, "Mister President, sir, I am called Mewthree. This big feline fellow here is called Mewtwo. This cute little kitten over there is called Mew. We three are the final result of a bioweapon experiment you may or may not have known of. Ask the military boys about Project Mewtwo. Tell them Wonder Cat sent you. They'll know about it. Believe me, they'll know. The three people on the left were on our team from the start. The twenty people over on the right were just rescued from down in Miami, where a truly huge hurricane had recently made primary landfall. Weather reports will say that the hurricane seems to have winked right out of existence as if it had never been. That is because Mewtwo destroyed it. Now that our mission is done, we will now all head on over to the Pentagon." Mewtwo asked, (Why are we going there?) Mewthree replied, "It's where my lab is." The three of them then took off. Mew and Mewtwo hovered. Mewthree just used her wings. It was a short jaunt to the Pentagon from there. They landed. Mewthree was allowed entry, and she brought them in with her. She used her passwords to enter her laboratory. Once in, she relaxed, folded her wings neatly against her back, turned to face Mew and Mewtwo and said, "I know you won't be all that happy about this. If I'm going to do my job of giving birth to two new races of wondrous creatures, I need a small blood and tissue sample from the both of you." Mew somersaulted onto the nearby table and cheerfully let Mewthree do it. Mewtwo was a little harder to convince to cooperate. He smacked himself hard over the head, let out an exasperated psychic groan and reluctantly let Mewthree take her sample. She said quietly, "Thank you so very, very much for your kind cooperation, you guys. Now I'll start."   
  
As she began her work, she said, "Think of the possibilities. There will be children, Mewtwo. Children! Baby Mews! Baby Mewtwos! You took only a few weeks to grow to full maturity. These kids will be the same. That means your race-our race-will grow and flourish rapidly." Mew and Mewtwo watched her work, doing complicated things and singing happily as she did them. Since it was just cloning and a bit of genetic retooling, it was easier than making Mewtwo. He'd been a complete DNA makeover. This was child's play compared to his creation. The first stage took just a few short days.   
  
Mewthree was making many embryos right and left, both Mews and Mewtwos alike, and cryogenically freezing them for later thawing and gestation. During that time, both Mew and Mewtwo could tell that she was keeping something major from both of them, keeping a secret to herself. But, seeing as she was a psychic creature also, they could not pry the information from her mind. And so it remained a total mystery. But they could tell that whatever it was made her very, very happy. Mewthree was far more cheerful than they had ever seen her before, laughing and singing. Every so often, she would run her paw along the soft fur of her belly and smile. It seemed like she was constantly swishing her tail with pure pride and flexing her big wings. She skipped down the hallways, juggled her equipment with an artistic flair and sang many happy little tunes as she worked on various things. She rejoiced in Mew's presence and in Mewtwo's presence as well. On her off time, she played games with them and showed them around. She regaled the two of them with wacky stories from her younger days and made little jokes.  
  
One day, Mewtwo was sure that he was going insane. He looked at Mewthree and his mother Mew, and sensed another, invisible presence. He saw the two of them, but felt the mind of a third. He confessed his feelings to Mewthree. Mew, as always, was with her. He said, (I think I'm going nuts. I see you two…but my mind feels that there are three here. Four if you count my presence, but I don't usually pay much attention to myself.) She nodded and said, "You sense a third…because there is a third. A child…the first of a new race… Mewtwo, Mew…I'm pregnant." Mewtwo fairly gasped, (Pregnant… How long?) She smiled and replied, "Oh, it's been just about two full weeks. I should be showing the signs of it pretty soon. In just two short weeks this little one will come to be. Do you know why I chose to give birth to this child myself, instead of growing it in a stupid little glass tube like we initially did with you, Mewtwo? It's because I want to make up for what you didn't have, which is a mother and a father. It's what I would have done for you…had I been physically able and genetically compatible. Unlike the mistake I made in allowing you to be born from a stupid tube, this child will have a real family."  
  
Everyone was practically bouncing off the walls in their elated hysteria. The two weeks passed by incredibly quickly, in a haze of nervous joy. Mew, a naturally happy creature, thought she would explode from sheer delight. She would very soon have a grandchild! Mewtwo was so exhilarated that he could barely restrain himself from bursting into song and dance. Mewthree began to show her pregnancy as the time grew closer and closer.  
  
It was late at night and Mewtwo lay in his bed, which had been specially made to suit his needs. As always, Mew lay curled up on a small pillow right next to him. She made a soft purring sound as she breathed. Was she snoring or something? He envied the fact that she was sleeping. He was too wound up to sleep. The time for Mewthree to give birth was drawing ever closer and closer with each second. When would it be? When would it be?  
  
For a split second, barely long enough for him to register it as having existed, a psychic scream of pain knifed through his mind. After his mind recovered, he became aware of the fact that Mew was awake and clinging to his arm, shaking with fright. He took a moment to comfort her, and then they both shot out of the room like furry lightning bolts. And they were right. Mewthree was crouched on the floor, in the middle of giving birth.   
  
Her wings were spread wide, shielding the event from their view. Mew and Mewtwo knew that she definitely didn't want them to get any closer to her, so they just waited nervously. They felt the psychic waves of pain radiating from her, but there was a fierce joy lying beneath it. The pain and the joy increased exponentially with each passing second, and then it exploded in a cascade of relief and immense pride. Then Mew and Mewtwo heard a very small voice mewing furiously. A tiny Mewtwo had just been born.   
  
Mewthree stood up and carried the newborn to the nearby sink, where she soaked a sponge in warm water to wash the baby's fur. Then she took a soft, warm, fuzzy blanket and wrapped it around the little one. By that time, the baby had stopped mewing. Gently cradling the tiny infant in her arms, she slowly walked over to where Mew and Mewtwo stood. She stood before him and showed him the baby. Mewtwo hesitantly reached out to hold the little one. Mewthree said in a proud, solemn voice, "Mewtwo…your son." Mewtwo, now holding the tiny baby, was totally amazed at that. He was a father! He looked at the baby. It looked like a miniature replica of him, right down to the white fur and pale indigo eyes. He was just as tiny as Mew and he was a real cutie. Mewtwo said, (Mewthree…he's beautiful…) She replied, a little tired, "And he's our son. What do you think we should name him? I think we should call him Adam. He is the first son, the firstborn of a whole new race. In due time, when he's a little older, I will give birth to his sister, and I will name her Eve. The first daughter of a new race." Mewtwo said, (Adam the firstborn. It's a good name. It is a very good name for a strong, perfect newborn son. Mew, what do you think about the name? You want to call him Adam or something else?) In reply, Mew flew to the tiny bundle and gave the newborn Mewtwo a hug. Adam made a happy cooing sound. Then he realized that he was hungry. The bundle in Mewtwo's arms began to squirm and mew. Mewthree said, "He's hungry. I'll go prepare a bottle. Kids need milk for their bones to grow strong. And babies need milk most of all." She moved over to the refrigerator and began to fix Adam a bottle. She warmed up the bottle and began to bring it over to Mewtwo, who held Adam. Adam saw her coming and knew that the bottle held food for him. He was very hungry and he wanted food right now. His eyes flared blue and the bottle was enveloped in a bright blue glow. It then jerked up out of Mewthree's paws and floated over to Mewtwo. Mewtwo just grabbed it in midair and offered the rubber nipple to Adam, who latched onto it and began to greedily slurp down the milk. As Adam had his first meal ever, Mewtwo said, (Did you see that? Adam's already manifesting his psychic powers!) Mewthree replied, "That means you have to train him in their use as soon as possible. The minute he's old enough to learn how, promise me you'll teach him how to use them properly. I really do mean it, Mewtwo."   
  
It was their very first night spent together, Mewthree and her newborn son Adam. She had locked the door to her small room, wanting that extra small measure of safety in case anything strange happened. Her instinct was to protect Adam at any and all costs, and she approved of its urging. Besides, she had a strange feeling that something was coming for them both. He was snuggled on her chest, curled up like any ordinary kitten and purring softly in his sleep. She was sleeping also…and dreaming a terrible dream that quickly became a hideous nightmare that she could not escape no matter what she tried to do.   
  
In her dream, she was standing in the laboratory where she and her friends had created Mewtwo. She reached out to grab something and noticed her hand. She had five fingers. She reached up to touch her face. Her human face. She gasped, "I'm…I'm Laura…" A voice distracted her, shouting, "Something's happening! Look!" Someone, she thought it was Judy, said, "He's waking up for the first time, Doctor." She fairly spun around. The instruments were registering off the scale. She looked over and saw the creature floating in the vat of viscous liquid. It was Mewtwo. T.J shouted, "His brainwaves are going off the scale, sir! Hope we don't lose this one too!" She knew she had words that she had to say at that point. She stepped closer to the vat and spoke the words she remembered saying long ago, "Hey in there, big guy. I know you can hear me in there, dude. Don't go all weird on us, okay? You just got born. Don't die on us now. Y'all hold on and don't you dare go giving up on us." Mewtwo opened his eyes. Strangely, she couldn't hear his psychic voice although she knew that he was supposed to be speaking. A few seconds later, the vat shattered, spraying stinky goo everywhere. Mewtwo stood in the ruins of the vat. He took a step forward, out of the ruins of the vat that had held him moments ago…   
  
And collapsed like a ton of bricks. He went into convulsions. It was plain to see that he was in the grips of a grand mal seizure. Laura screamed in horror. Judy, T.J and the others evaporated like smoke right before her shocked eyes, leaving her alone with the dying Mewtwo. Tears poured down her furless cheeks and blinded her as she sobbed uncontrollably. Mewtwo was dying right before her eyes and she could do nothing for him. She wiped the tears from her eyes and saw that Mewtwo's seizure had ceased. He was lying motionless on the ground, amid the splattered stinky goo and the broken glass. He didn't appear to be breathing any longer. Laura's scream of hysterical denial totally deafened her as she fairly flew over and knelt by him. She took his pulse. He didn't have one. An electromagnetic scan revealed no brain activity. He was quite dead. Laura, beginning to cry once again, gently touched his furry, still-wet cheek. Then she hugged his cold, wet body, despite the stinky goo that still drenched him. She sobbed, "Oh God, Mewtwo… I'm so sorry…so sorry…" She felt a familiar presence coalesce behind her and she turned around to face it. It was Mewthree. She gasped, "But…but I'm Mewthree…" Mewthree cradled a baby Mewtwo in her arms. Meeting Laura's gaze, Mewthree asked, "Laura… Mother… Why have you done this to us?" Laura looked away from them right then, unable to reply. A short instant later, she cradled a small, blanketed bundle in her arms. She said softly, "Adam… Oh God, Adam… I'm so sorry… Forgive me… I never meant to…" She pulled the blanket away from Adam's tiny face. Only it wasn't Adam at all it was a skeleton a SKELETON of a Mewtwo but it wasn't dead at all it was still alive as it reached out with its tiny bone paws to touch her shocked face…  
  
Mewthree bolted up in bed, screaming at the top of her lungs, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Then she began to sob hysterically. Adam was equally hysterical, mewing with a frantic intensity. Mew and Mewtwo heard her scream from their shared room down the hall. They rushed in, practically breaking the door down in their terrified haste, and they didn't find what they had expected, which was an attacker threatening the ones they loved. They only saw a hysterical mother and a terrified child. Mew flew over to Adam and started to comfort him. Mewtwo held Mewthree as she cried and cried. Since she was quite unable to speak while she was crying, she showed him her nightmare with her budding psychic powers. It seemed like a very, very long time before she finally calmed down. When she calmed down, she saw that Adam was still mewing, extremely distressed over how his mother had screamed so. She picked him up and he began to calm down. She said, "It's okay, Adam. It's okay. Really it is. Everything's just fine now. I'm all right, see? Don't worry about me, little guy. I'm perfectly fine. You don't have to be scared anymore. I wasn't hurt or anything. I just had a bad, scary dream. That's all. It was just a dream."   
  
Once more snuggled up against his mother, Adam became calm again. His tiny paws clung to her warm, soft fur and he nuzzled up against her. Mew and Mewtwo, not to mention Mewthree, were very surprised when they heard a tiny, soft voice; "Mommy…" Adam was speaking! Already! Mewthree was right about his accelerated growth! He wasn't even six hours old, and he was already learning how to speak! What a precocious child he was! Mewtwo and Mewthree laughed delightedly and Mew did a cute little happy wiggle in midair as Adam babbled happily, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy…" Mewtwo said, (Oh, he is so cute!) Mewthree replied, "He's related to you. How could he not be cute?" Mew just danced in the air, releasing a high, chirping giggle as she did so.  
  
The very next day, Adam had picked up a whole lot more new words seemingly from out of nowhere. Mewthree resumed her work in the lab. He sat on the high lab table right beside her happily reciting all the words he knew, seeking her approval of his knowledge, "Mommy Mew Mewtwo Daddy lab Mewthree bottle baby Adam power blanket fur psychic…" He knew better than to touch his mommy's things. He had a sneaking feeling that whatever his mommy was doing would result in something very nice for all of them. Mewthree took frequent breaks to feed Adam and play some new games. As she worked, she talked to him about things. Adam watched her work with curious attention, wanting to see every single thing she did. In the afternoon, Mewthree took Adam out to the Pentagon's courtyard. As she walked around with him in her arms, she named and described things to him. She said, "This is grass. Tickles, doesn't it? Those are flowers. They smell nice, right? This is a tree. Look how big it is! That's the sky. It's so blue today! This is wind. Tickles your fur, doesn't it? Those are clouds. Look at how fluffy they are! Up there is the sun. Warm, isn't it? That is the ground. This is where grass comes from! This is a puddle with water in it. The water is very cold, isn't it? That slimy, brown stuff is called mud. It's icky, so we don't want to touch it, okay? These are my wings. See how big they are? That means I can fly in the air. Mew flies in the air. Mewtwo can too. Maybe he'll show you. Someday you will be able to fly in the air too. This is my tail. You have one too, see? This is my paw. This is your paw. One, two, three… Three fingers on your paw. Three fingers on my paw. I have two eyes. They're blue like the sky, see? You have eyes too. Yours are purple like Mewtwo's. These are your ears. You hear sounds with them. My ears are like Mew's. Your ears are like Mewtwo's. This is my fur. I have fur all over and so do you. It tickles your face when your rub it, doesn't it? This is my foot. This is your foot. One, two, three… Three toes on your foot. We have the same number of toes as fingers. One, two, three…One, two, three." Adam listened with rapt attention, readily absorbing every word she said to him.  
  
They didn't know that they were being spied on. One of the surveillance cameras in the courtyard had a different audience than any Pentagon technician. It had been tapped into and overridden by none other than the notorious Team Rocket. Giovanni, who had survived Mewtwo's destruction of his headquarters, had harbored a deep grudge against the mutant cat. The discovery of a new, winged Mewtwo cradling a small baby Mewtwo excited him. Judging from their attitude and interaction, they were mother and child. If he kidnapped even one of these two, he could get back at Mewtwo for nearly killing him.   
  
He called on his sinister duo, Jessie and James. They came quickly at his call. James said, "What do you want us to do, boss?" He replied, showing them the video of Mewthree and baby Adam, "I want you to go to the Pentagon and kidnap that baby Mewtwo. Now." Jessie said, "Gee, I don't know about that, boss. That seems a little on the cruel side." He roared, "So? Team Rocket is cruel! Now go!" Jessie and James left the headquarters sullenly. Team Rocket was mean, but kidnapping a baby seemed to be outright sadistic. As they walked, James said, "Jessie, I don't want to do this." Jessie replied, "I know how you feel. I don't want to do this either. But it appears we have no choice in the matter. There's nothing we can do." James said, "But there is something we can do. We can do it with minimal violence, not hurt anyone and take really good care of the baby." Jessie exclaimed, "And we can leave a big trail so they can follow us and rescue the cat kid!"  
  
Adam had all the defining characteristics of a typical four-year-old human child, in Mewthree's perspective. He knew how to talk quite well and he was constantly curious about everything. He was always getting into all sorts of trouble as he ran around, exploring his world. It seemed like Mewthree was always yelling at him, "Don't eat that! Don't touch that! Don't drink that! Don't play with that! Don't you dare go over there! Don't do that! Don't go near that! Don't run around with that! Stay away from that! Don't even breathe on that! Be very quiet while I do this, okay? Go see Mewtwo! Go see Mew!" Instead of an armful, he was a handful. But that didn't mean she loved him any less. She still sang his favorite songs, played his favorite games with him and patiently answered each one of his rapid-fire questions. But one single, simple question he asked her made her heart stop right in its tracks and her blood run as cold as ice at the very least. He pointed upward at the sky and asked very seriously, "Who are they, mommy?"   
  
At that very instant, the glass roof shattered in a glittering cascade of sharp-edged rain. Mewthree shielded Adam from the falling shards with wings wide to shield herself. The sounds of strange voices shouting at her motivated her to slowly look up. A redheaded girl and a dark-haired boy stared down at them from a large hot-air balloon. They both wore white shirts with a red letter R on the front. They were strange, but Mewthree thought the design on their shirts looked very familiar. They shouted together, "Prepare for trouble! Make it double!" Then they recited what had to be a motto with great gusto.  
  
"To protect the world from devastation!  
To unite all peoples within our nation!  
To denounce the evils of truth and love!  
To extend our reach to the stars above!  
Jessie!  
James!  
Team Rocket-blast off at the speed of light!  
Surrender now or prepare to fight!"  
  
Jessie sighed sadly, looking away. Then she said, "All right, lady! Hand over the kid or we hurt you bad!" Mewthree yelled back, "No! Never! I will never let you take my son!" James cut in, "Hey. It's not like we're giving you a choice here." They threw two small pellets at her. In an instant, thick black smoke blinded both Mewthree and Adam. They coughed wildly, choking on the vile fumes. Some unknown, unseen force wrenched Adam from her arms. A voice, its source invisible beyond the smoke, said, "I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry." In a wild frenzy of sheer terror, Mewthree's psychic powers became completely active. Not aware that she wasn't using her audible voice any longer, she shrieked wildly: (MEWTWO! MEWTWO! TEAM ROCKET HAS ADAM! HELP! HELP!)   
  
She had to have lost consciousness, because the next thing she was aware of was awakening in Mewtwo's arms. Mew was sitting on his shoulder. But where was Adam? Then she remembered. Mewthree bolted up, yelling, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Adam!" She stood up and cried in a wild frenzy, "They took him! Giovanni-Team Rocket-Kidnapped! Gone!" Mewtwo understood. He let out a psychic scream and discharged vast amounts of psychic energy. Mew began to cry. Mewthree seriously debated suicide with herself, Mewtwo screamed loud curses at the heavens and Mew cried her eyes out. Their lives would never be the same without Adam. They knew he was being taken to the Team Rocket headquarters, but they had no idea where the Team Rocket headquarters was located. If they had known, they would have tried to plot a daring rescue. But since they had no clue whatsoever as to where they would have to go to do that, they didn't.  
Jessie and James, hearts heavy with guilt, made their delivery. Adam, held roughly in James's arms, squirmed and mewed. He set the child down on the table. Adam looked around, then sat down and mewed pathetically. Between mews, he wailed, "Mommy! Mommy!" Although no one could see her, Jessie was crying also. James was almost crying. A few seconds later, an idea flashed into both their minds at the exact same instant. After being dismissed from the room, they both went to their rooms and quickly began to prepare for real trouble. A plan was beginning to take shape in their heads. They would free the little one from there in collaboration with his distraught feline parents.  
  
Mewthree, Mew and Mewtwo didn't know what to do next. Mew hadn't really stopped crying, even though Adam had been kidnapped days ago. Mewtwo destroyed anything that got in his way, he was so terribly angry. Mewthree alternated between weeping and throwing fits. Mewtwo and Mewthree, whenever together, plotted their revenge on Team Rocket. But they didn't know what they could possibly do to get their little Adam back.   
  
One day, the doorbell rang. Mewthree answered it and gasped at the people she saw there. It was Jessie and James. She snarled, "You took my precious baby! Now you die!" Jessie called out, "Wait a minute! Your son is okay. Let us in and I'll tell you some more." She stopped, puzzled. Jessie then explained, "We just want you to know that we're sorry for what we did. James and I tend to him. And we've come up with a plan to free him." Mewthree let them in. Looking into their minds, she could see that they weren't lying. Mewtwo and even Mew reacted violently to their presence. Jessie and James would have been killed right on the spot if Mewthree hadn't intervened on their behalf. Given a few moments to restore calm in the room, Mew and Mewtwo were finally ready to hear what Jessie had to say. Jessie took a few moments to gather her wits. She looked to James for encouragement and he nodded. Then she began to speak, "If you think we're here for trouble-" James cut in, "-Then we just have to burst your bubble."  
  
"Instead of causing tribulation  
We've undergone a transformation  
Though it's beyond our usual range  
We're going to do something nice for a change  
Jessie!  
James!  
'Til now Team Rocket's been quite mean  
To do something nice would be peachy keen!"  
  
"That's right," James finished. Then he looked over at Jessie. She gulped quietly and then said, "Mewtwo, Mew, I beg you to hear me out. James and I are very sorry for what we did back there all that time ago. Your son will be free from the prison where he now resides. Until that happy time comes at last, I just want you to know this. James and I, with your kind cooperation, are going to bust him out of there as soon as we can. Here's the plan as I see it. I will go tend to the kid because he likes me a whole heck of a lot and I really like him too. At the same time, James will head in the opposite direction and pull any fire alarm he comes across. The fire alarm automatically unlocks any and all doors inside the whole entire building, including the one to where your son is currently held. The minute I hear the fire alarm go off, I'll hoist the kid up on my back and then run away like a frightened little zebra. I'll head on over to the western exit. That's where you three cats will be waiting and hiding. I'll give you the kid and join the other Team Rocket members with no one the wiser. You cats will then fly away from there at top speed. If it becomes absolutely necessary for us to do so, James and I will cover for you as you go."   
  
Mewthree, Mewtwo and Mew hid in a prickly thorn bush just outside of the Team Rocket headquarters, waiting for Jessie to emerge from the western exit. Mewthree said softly, "All we have to do is wait. They'll do their jobs, so we'll do ours. Our job is to wait." Mewtwo replied indignantly, (Wait? WAIT? I'm sitting on thorns and I practically have a pinecone shoved up my nose and you expect me to wait? Giovanni did this and he's my enemy! I just wanna go take my complaint right on in there and stick it to the man!) Mewthree quickly reached over and smacked him hard across the face. He whipped around to face her, eyes shining bright blue with anger. She snarled, "You're gonna stay right here like the rest of us! That's what you're gonna do! If you ever wanna see our Adam again, then just stick to the freaking plan!" Chastened by her angry words, he quickly calmed down and they all began to wait for the fire alarm to sound and for Jessie. Mewtwo said, (I'm frightened, Mewthree. In the confusion, Adam might be…) Mewthree replied, "Jessie knows what she's doing. So does James. Trust in them and just be calm."  
  
Quickly smoothing down the wrinkles in her uniform, Jessie prepared to enter the makeshift nursery that had been set up for the baby Mewtwo. She stepped through the sliding door and walked over to the crib. The little guy had gone into the crib for a nap. Even though he was old enough to no longer need the crib, he still wanted it. He'd reverted to infant behavior because of the trauma of being kidnapped. He now acted just like a baby, so that was how she treated him. She reached into the crib and picked him up. Cradled against her, he yawned and stretched as he woke up. She said in a soft voice, "Hi there, little dude. It's me. It's Jessie. How's it going there? Have a nice nap?" She gently touched his nose. He giggled like a normal human baby and grabbed at her fingers. Over the past few days, her feeling of obligation had grown into genuine attachment to him. She paced the room with him, talking to him as she did so. She said, "I'm waiting for my friend James. Have you met James? Of course you met him. He was with me when we…kidnapped you… But everything's okay now. I'm here for you, so you don't have to worry. Everything, I mean every little thing, is going to be all right. You'll see." The baby Mewtwo curled his tiny tail around her arm in a gesture of genuine affection for her. She gave him a little kiss and tickled him a bit. He wiggled and giggled in her arms.  
  
James sort of tap-danced down the hall; acting like he'd just done something that was really great. That was his ploy to keep any and all suspicions off him. If he acted nuts instead of suspicious, he wouldn't be implicated in the return of the baby Mewtwo to its parents. Singing a queer little song that he was making up, he waltzed toward the fire alarm. He paused by the fire alarm and then quickly whirled in place. Moving far faster than the normal eye could ever hope to see, he yanked the fire alarm as he twirled. The fire alarm sounded and all the world fractured into shards of pure pandemonium. Doing a last little ballerina twirl, he turned and ran out of the building like a flash. As he ran off, he yelled, "Jessie! Jessie! The fire alarm's going off! Get out of the building right now!"  
Jessie whispered to the baby she held, "Think it's time to go!" She hoisted him on her back, telling him she was going to give him a ride. Finally she said, "Hang on! We're going to go fast!" Then she bolted. She was glad for her long legs as she bounded down the hall. The little Mewtwo she carried giggled with exhilaration and she joined in as she ran. She was as fast as a cheetah, as agile as a gazelle and no one could catch her, either! She passed many people, but none of them noticed her as she sprinted along at top speed. They were too busy running like frightened zebras to notice what she was carrying. So she went unopposed. The baby Mewtwo she carried on her back giggled as her hair blew backward to tickle his tiny face. The western exit was wide open before her, and there was no opposition in sight. She shouted, "And now…we're outside!" She charged onward, whooping like a complete idiot with the baby Mewtwo imitating her, leaving the neatly cut lawn and entering the forest. Once under the cover of the trees, she doubled back, heading to a place where a certain thorn bush waited for her imminent arrival…  
  
Boldly daring the razor sharp thorns, she quickly went inside the bush. Bending down and shielding the little guy from getting cut, she pushed on to the center of the bush. At the center, three felines awaited them both. A psychic voice asked, (Did it work? Did you get the child?) She replied, "Yep, it worked. And here he is." A small version of Mewtwo cautiously peeked out of her sheltering arms and cried happily, "Mommy! Daddy! Mew!" Mewthree snatched him up and cried, "Adam!" Jessie said, "Adam? You never said he had a name! I've just been calling him 'Little Dude'! I wish you'd told me his name!" Mew and Mewtwo smothered Adam with hugs and kisses. Mewthree walked up to Jessie and said, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for, in returning Adam, you have given back ours." Adam wriggled in Mew and Mewtwo's loving arms, swishing his tail with happiness and looking right at Mewthree. He chirped happily, "Jessie!" She gasped in delighted awe; "Hey! You know my name? Oh, you wondrous little boy cat, you! You're just a cute, furry little miracle with a tail, aren't you? You're an honest miracle!"   
  
He chirped her name over and over, showing that he really liked her a lot. She liked him too. Adam popped out of Mewtwo's arms and jumped to Jessie. She hugged him and said, "You're cute, you know that? And you're one very lucky kitten. You've got a loving family, a nice home and a bright future ahead of you. I may be with Team Rocket, your family's enemy, but I want you to know that I will always be your friend, little dude." She held him as she had so many times before while he had been a prisoner of Team Rocket. It was plain to Mewtwo that she considered herself his protector and caretaker. In a way, she was his guardian angel, a secret ally among their Team Rocket enemies.  
  
A few short little minutes later, Jessie stepped back and then said, "I have to get back to the others or they'll suspect me. And as for you guys, you'd better leave this place now. When the boss finds out, he will go after you big-time. Oh, and you'd better pump up security at the Pentagon. Goodbye now!" Jessie ran out of the thorn bush and was out of all sight in mere seconds. Mewtwo said, (She's got that right, you know. We'd better get going. Let's wait until we're two miles away before flying off.) Mewthree replied, "Oh, yeah. Let's just plain run. Follow me! Mew, you lead the way! Mewtwo, you take the rear! I'll go down the middle with Adam! Okay, then. Let's go!" Mew peeked out of the thorn bush. The way was all clear. They could escape from the area with great ease.   
The three cats, their child safe from harm at last, burst from the thorn bush like three furry missiles, running as fast as their legs and psychic powers could possibly take them. Mewthree laughed. Mew laughed. Mewtwo laughed. Adam laughed. Finally, after what had seemed like forever, the feline family was complete. Mew, Mewtwo and Mewthree promised themselves and each other that they would increase security at the Pentagon. They planned a huge party, with wonderful music, good food, fun games and all that. Mew chirped happily. Mewthree sang in a quiet voice. Mewtwo giggled repeatedly. He was at the rear, sprinting along with all of his might. He just barely saw Mewthree and Mew running along far ahead of him. All of a sudden, he tripped and fell. He tried to get up, but discovered that his leg was caught in a snare trap. He said, (What? How? Who? Ah, nuts!) He knew it was a trap set by Team Rocket, and that someone would come see what he or she had caught. He considered calling out to Mewthree and Mew for help, but then he decided not to. Team Rocket could arrive on the scene at any second and he didn't want them to get caught too. So he just kept silent and held still. Fidgeting nervously, in much pain from the snare around his leg, he just plain sat and waited. Stewing in resentful anger, he thought, Well, Giovanni, it looks like we'll meet again.   
  
A junior Team Rocket member found him and brought him in at gunpoint. If he tried to use his power, he would be shot dead in less than an instant. He was brought before Giovanni himself, who recognized him in way less than an instant. With an evil laugh of sheer triumph, he said, "Well, well, well. Looks like I got you after all. You nearly killed me back then, remember? It's only fair that I return the favor to you in spades, 'buddy'. 'Prepare for trouble' doesn't even begin to cover the situation you're in now." He then turned to one of his subordinates and said, "Put him down in General Population. That'll take care of him. Nobody ever escapes from down there." Mewtwo was whacked over the head just hard enough to stun him for a few seconds. In that short time, he was both blindfolded and handcuffed. Then he was led along at gunpoint again. He was taken down three floors, to what had to be a sub-basement level. 


	3. Escape, Revelations And A Siege Begins

He fell flat on his face on a cold concrete floor and he heard the huge door slowly close behind him. He couldn't see where he was and he couldn't get out of the handcuffs either. All was eerily quiet. He wondered just where he was. Was this some sort of holding cell? An execution chamber, maybe? Was he about to die? He freaked out and practically died of fright when he felt presences all around him. A whole lot of presences were closing in on where he was. He couldn't sense their true intents, but he could make a good guess about what they wanted to do, and it wasn't good. Sort of flailing around blindly, he quickly found a wall and pressed himself up against it as hard as he could. He felt cold metal against his body. Was he leaning against the door? Then he had nowhere to retreat to. As if he could retreat or fight effectively while he was handcuffed and blindfolded. The many presences all around him slowly drew closer and closer. He shivered with fear, his tail lashing wildly. It looked like this was the end. Then he felt a myriad of paws touching him, running along his face, his chest, his arms, his legs and even his tail. He cringed, releasing a psychic whimper of sheer fright. Then he heard voices. "Well, well, well. A new kitty, special delivery to Gen-P, huh?" That voice sounded male. A female voice replied, "Yep-Whoops! Look at that tail go!" A second female voice said, "Back off now, cats and kittens. New kitty's gonna flip out on us." Then a male voice snarled, "Then zip the meow and untie him, ya stupid hairball!" The handcuffs fell away in an instant. He reached up and untied the blindfold. The darkness fell away, revealing…more darkness. A female voice said, "Yo, cats. Looks like the new kitty's night-blind. I'm gonna let him see us, okay? Flame on!" A weird silver light suddenly flared on. The light was held cupped in the strong paws of…another Mewtwo?   
  
He looked around. Seven-foot-tall bipedal telepathic cats stood, sat or crouched all around him. There were literally dozens of them! Myriad Mewtwos! Mewtwos galore! A pinkish-furred female with amber eyes sat down beside him. She said, "Yep. You got it, new kitty. We're all Mewtwos here. By the way, we bid you welcome to General Population. Some of us cats call it Gen-P, G.P or even Jeep. Any way you put it, it's a prison; a death camp and a ghetto all rolled into one. Prison, because we're all stuck here, but only some of us as a punishment. Death camp, because nobody; that's nobody; gets out of this joint alive. The only way you leave Gen-P is in a coffin or a body bag. Ghetto, because this pit is where all Mewtwos eventually end up." Mewtwo replied, (Not really. I have a mate and a child. They are both free. My son, Adam, is a freeborn Mewtwo. My mate was once a human female and her name used to be Laura Meisenheimer. Now she is known as Mewthree. And I came from the outside before I ended up in here.) The others asked, "There are actually Mewtwos living outside Gen-P? There's a Mewthree? You have a son?" He answered; (The answers to all three of those questions are yes.) A smallish bluish-furred female with silver eyes came up and said, "So we could actually go somewhere if we found a way out of here? Cool! But, seriously, I really hope you can handle spending the rest of your life in this place. In all likelihood, that's how it's gonna be, despite the fact that there's a better life out there." Mewtwo asked, (Hey! Anybody ever tried to bust out of here before?) A young, scarred male stomped up to him and said, "What, you mean dig a way out through concrete? You mean run past a huge barricade with sharpshooters poised to kill the lot of us on sight? You want us to run through their ranks like a frightened zebra daring a giant pack of hungry lions? Nope, dude. Couple cats have tried to make crude hammers from busted rocks, but we've never gotten too far with that sort of stuff." Just then, Mewtwo had a brilliant idea. He exclaimed, (Hey! Has anybody ever tried using his or her power to make an escape from this filthy pit here?)   
  
The pink-furred female replied, "What power? We can flame on for light, but that is it. And most of us can't even do that." Mewtwo snapped, (And that is why nobody's ever escaped! Nobody here knows a darn thing about the power that's inside us all! But I do. So I can-) The female interrupted, "Zip the meow, new kitty. It's feeding time. You must be hungry." A small, well-hidden hatch opened in a wall and bowls of some sort of noxious excuse for food were pushed into the chamber. There was one for everybody in Gen-P, even Mewtwo himself. He took his bowl and looked at what was in it. He gagged a few dozen times, made a horrible face and said; (This gross stuff is food? It looks more like bat barf to me!) The bluish-furred female gently brushed up against him and said, "Well, you're looking at the standard Gen-P cuisine, new kitty. Mealtime is once a day every day…if we're lucky. We figure they feed us at noon. That's how we run our time system down here. Eat up or you'll go hungry, new kitty. Eat it all up or you'll end up really regretting it because here's how it goes down here: If we're good little kitties and don't make any trouble, we might get fed. Might. Mealtime's never, ever for certain. Down here, there's a fifty-fifty chance of going hungry on any given day. So you better eat the whole thing. Never know when you'll get fed again, or if you'll get fed again. So eat it all up or someone else will." Mewtwo forced the hideous travesty of food down, nearly vomiting once or twice. Everyone else seemed to have no trouble with the food. Long experience with it, he supposed. Once they finished eating the disgusting stuff, they pushed the bowls toward the hatch. Mewtwo did too. Then he gagged a few more times.   
  
Given a chance to recover from his extreme disgust at the gross mockery of food, he said, (As I was saying before the slop came, I could get us out of here in no time flat. Unlike you guys, I have full use of the abilities that are the birthright of any and all Mewtwos. When we are free of this awful pit, I will train you in their use. I will teach all of you, as I am teaching Mewthree and Adam. But first, with a little help from the lot of you, I'll bust us out of here and burn the whole building down around our captors' ears.) The other Mewtwos, sick to death of darkness and perpetual imprisonment, cheered loudly at that idea and wholeheartedly promised Mewtwo their help. Just then, the scarred young male cut in, "Hey! Wait a minute! Hold on there! New kitty here is gonna bust us out of here, blow the building up and fly off with all hundred and twenty of us? Hold it! Back that train of thought up a bit! Anybody else see something wrong with that statement? Think about it, cats! That's way too much for just one new kitty to handle, cats and kittens. I say he teaches us to do the special stuff first, then we bust out of Gen-P for good. That's a way more logical plan." The pink-furred female replied, "Sounds like a sensible plan to me, cats. New kitty, looks like we're gonna hang around here for just a little bit longer." Mewtwo exclaimed, (What? You're saying we're going to stay here when we have a perfectly good way out of this kooky joint? Let's get something perfectly straight between the lot of us. I really do not want to stay here any longer than I absolutely have to.) Things were looking a tad tense in Gen-P. Then the bluish-furred female cut in, "Hey! Hey! Hey, cats! We didn't do our introductions yet! Are we forgetting our manners or something? Everybody just relax now…and let's introduce ourselves to the new kitty." The mood in Gen-P lightened immediately. Everyone liked newcomers and introducing themselves. That was one of the few things that were actually kind of fun in Gen-P. The bluish-furred female started it out, saying, "I'm Marla. If you call me Marlin, I'll scream and smack your furry butt so hard that your meow will fall off." Then the pink-furred female said, "I'm Amber. Just like my eyes. See my eyes?" A slender, golden-furred female stepped up to him and said, "Hello, hello! My name's Meiwa. That's M-E-I-W-A. Pronounce it just like it's spelled." A brown-furred female seemed to come from out of nowhere to say, "I bid you welcome to Gen-P, newcomer. I'm Ana. Short for Anaphase. Just kidding there. Anyway, I'm Ana. Nice to meet you." A female with pale purple fur shyly peeked in and said, "Call me Candy. My full name is Candice, but I hate being called that. If you call me that, then you can rest assured that I will personally slap the whatever out of you." A bunch more moved closer. One jumped up, posed like a spastic ballerina and shouted, "Frost!" A second jumped up, then struck up a semi-tasteful complementary pose and shouted, "Ice!" A third jumped into full view, posed and shouted, "Snowfall!" A vibrantly colored male gracefully sashayed into visibility and said to him flatly, using the familiar, super suave James Bond style, "Cold. King Cold." Flipping in, spinning in place and following it all up by posing like a gymnast, a fifth shouted, "Mist!" A sixth capered threateningly before him and shouted loudly, "Rain!" A seventh skidded across the view in a cheerleading pose, then took her position with a rapid series of flips and shouted, "Subzero!" An eighth struck up a disco pose and shouted, "Blizzard!" A ninth jumped in and shouted, "Storm!" A little kitten skittered into view and lisped, "Freezer!" Then, they said loudly, "Together, we are…the Winter Force!" Mewtwo looked at them strangely and asked, (What the heck was that supposed to be?) One came even closer, but the rest hung back shyly. The first shook his head at their corny entrance and said, "Hello. We are called the Winter Force, even though we don't exactly know what it really means. I'm called Frost. This is Ice and over here is her daughter Snowfall. Over there is Blizzard and next to her is Mist. Here's Rain and Subzero. Next to Subzero are King Cold and his twin brother, Storm. And here's little Freezer." The scarred male waved at him jauntily and said, "I'm called T.C, short for Top Cat. I may not be the real top cat, but I picked a name that would actually make me feel better. Anyhow, it looks like you're the real top cat. Since I'm not the real top cat, just call me T.C." A silvery-furred female stepped up and said, "I'm called Mercury because of my speed and my fur color." A yellowish-furred female said, "I'm Samantha. I just like how it sounds. You can call me Sam if you want to. I don't mind." A female with fur of reddish-gold came up beside him and said, "I'm Rose. I wish I knew what a rose is, but that's what my parents called me and that's who I am." The introductions went on and on, over a hundred different Mewtwos making their names and identities known to the newcomer. When it was finally his turn to introduce himself to them, Mewtwo said, (Well, when you're dead sure that there's only one of you in the world as a whole and you're it, you don't think very much about considering individual names for yourself. I have always been called just plain old Mewtwo, right from the very moment of my birth. My creators called the experiment that was my origin Project Mewtwo. I was named after the project. It was never taken into account that there would ever be other Mewtwos in the world. I was supposed to be the only one there would ever be.) Ana said, "Oh, well. If you have no real name, we'll just call you that. Mewtwo it is. But if you ever want us to help you come up with a better name than that impersonal label, don't be afraid to ask us about it. Coming up with names for new kitties is one of the more fun things we do down here. In fact, it's the only fun thing we do down here." Mewtwo replied, (I'll consider it. That's really all I can say. I'll consider it.) Meiwa said to him, "Hey, cats. Does anybody else see the screw-up brewing here? Considering that your name is also our scientific species name, we need a colloquial name for our race. As the humans are Men, so shall we be 'Twos. Remember it. From now on, we are 'Twos, not Mewtwos."  
  
Mewtwo picked up the simple Gen-P schedule rather quickly. It was, after all, pretty much free form. The only rules were to go to sleep when you're tired and to always be nice to everyone in Gen-P. Since there was always absolutely nothing to do, any typical day was centered on and around feeding time. Meiwa and Amber teamed up and acted as Mewtwo's guides, showing him methods for dealing with the endless tedium of Gen-P and telling him stories of those who hadn't been able to deal with it. They regaled each other with stories of weird stuff they had experienced or had heard of from others. Mewtwo told them all wild, wacky stories that Mewthree had told him and also told stories from his own very short but eventful life. Each and every Gen-P 'Two was incredibly eager and voraciously hungry to learn of the outside world that had been denied them for so long. They hung on every word, wanting to hear the smallest details. They let him into the tightly knit Gen-P community, where everyone was a close friend and enemies were impossible to find. Then they told him about how everyone had come to be there. A few had been thrown into Gen-P after spending time outside, but most had been born there or else they had been put in at a very young age. Some were Giovanni's soldiers, waiting to be called on in a someday bid for world domination. Others were the failed results of experiments in breeding a tremendously powerful yet completely obedient creature. Some had even been pets for Giovanni's daughters. That made Mewtwo feel very, very sick. That was far worse than slavery! It was an abomination!  
  
Mewtwo wasted no time in getting down to business. Some of the 'Twos incarcerated in Gen-P had received a little training before their arrival. They were his advanced class. In the near-total darkness of the prison, the lessons began. It began with the very basics, simple mind reading and thought projection. They all mastered it very quickly. Then he took their slight knowledge of energy channeling, which they called 'flaming on', and expanded it to include the use of energy balls for weapons. All the 'Twos in Gen-P picked up everything he taught with great rapidity. But still he didn't hurry up with their training. Rather, he took painstaking care in creating a fully rounded education for them. They practiced what he taught them all the time, learning to hover and fly with ease, despite the stuffy, enclosed space they were in. It took them just a little bit longer to master making things other than themselves float. Since that skill would be very important for their escape from Gen-P, Mewtwo taught them his little tips and tricks for doing it. He had them practicing it pretty much all the time, lifting each other in turn. When he didn't have them practicing the stuff, they happily practiced on their own. They were very enthusiastic and even asked him to teach them some more in their spare time.  
  
Soon they were as ready as he could get them in that environment. It took several weeks. Mewtwo even got used to the disgusting travesty of food that was given at feeding time. That was saying a lot for his ability to adapt. Soon a meeting was called. Everyone stood, sat or crouched, paying attention to Mewtwo. He paced back and forth, tail swishing anxiously. He said, (Okay, everybody. I've taught you all I can. I mean, I can teach you more, but not here. We're going to bust out of here. It's time.) Everyone cheered and loudly voiced approval. Mewtwo cut in; (We have no time for that. If we're going to bust out of this horribly hideous nuthouse, we have to do it now. Okay, gather around me and face outward. Think a shield up. I want you all to pool your powers for this maneuver. I know we didn't practice power pooling, but try it anyway, please. We don't want anything getting through the shield. The shield is now up. Good strength on that shield! On my mark, everyone pull a hover. Now! Good synchronization on the hover, everyone. Now, while holding the shield and hovering at the same time, pool your powers to create an immense energy ball. Wow! That is one incredibly big energy ball! Now slowly release your control of it. I'll take care of it from here.) Mewtwo took control of the huge rainbow energy ball and directed it upward. Then he released it. There was a loud roar and a cascade of rubble as it smashed unopposed through four floors of building until it breached the roof and exposed the sky that had haunted Mewtwo's dreams every night. Mewtwo said, (And that, my friends, is why I wanted that shield to be so darn powerful! Okay, everyone, flying time! Straight up and fast, if you please! Let me do the steering and everything will be perfect!) Under Mewtwo's guidance, they shot straight upward. Soon they were in the sky. The Gen-P 'Twos had trained themselves to get used to strong light, but the sheer expanse of the world amazed them all. Meiwa said, "Wow! The sky is so…so…" Ana cut in, babbling wildly, "…just goes on forever! And just look at…" Marla gasped, "…can see so far! Just check out…" Candy squeaked, "…it's so warm out here! Not like down in Gen-P, where…" Amber said in sheer excitement, "…wind! Real wind! I haven't felt…" Mewtwo interrupted, (Hey. It's not like we have time for this stuff. Just fly, check out the scenery, and let me do the steering. I'll take us over to the Pentagon, where Mewthree and Adam are. We can make our home there. Did I mention that Mewthree is a scientist? She's been making hundreds of embryos for later gestation. Soon we'll be a fully established species and we'll multiply like the humans have and do! We can make cities of our own, even whole countries, and we'll be able to work together with humans as equals!) They soared toward the Pentagon at a leisurely speed, taking in the sights and relaxing. Mewtwo said, (Okay, everyone be on the lookout for the Pentagon.) Candy asked, "How will we recognize it if we see it? I mean, nobody's ever been outside Gen-P before. This is all completely new to us." Mewtwo replied wryly, (They call it the Pentagon for a reason.) A new voice cut in, "Hey! Yo! New kitty! Uh-hey, Mewtwo! There's a funny shaped building down there! It's a weird five-sided shape!" He looked and said, (That's the Pentagon right there. Down we go…now!) Perfectly synchronized, the hundred and twenty Mewtwos swooped straight downward like furry hawks. Meiwa said, "Wow! This building is our home? It's huge! And it's got a courtyard on the inside!" Amber cut in, "And as for me…I can't wait to meet this Mewthree you kept telling us about. And I really want to see your son Adam. From what you've told us, he's going to be cute. Was there anything you didn't tell us? I keep seeing this white furry pixie creature in your thoughts. Why is that? And what is it?" Mewtwo replied, (You'll see it soon enough. Just be patient, Amber. It won't be very long now.)  
  
Mewtwo stood at the main door to the Pentagon. He'd almost forgotten what that door had looked like. He rang the bell, stepped back and waited. A voice said, "Hey, Cuddles, would you mind getting the door, please?" A tiny voice said, "Mew." The door opened and a tiny white-furred blue-eyed face peeked out. Meiwa saw and gasped, "Is…is that…" Mewtwo replied, (Yes, that's a Mew.) Meiwa shouted, "An honest-to-God Mew!" A deep, resonant voice, said, "Can you tell me who's at the door, please, Cuddles?" The tiny kitten turned around and replied, "Mew, mew." The voice fairly shrieked, "Really? Oh my goodness! At last!" There were the sounds of feet running toward the door. A strangely familiar 'Two fairly exploded from inside the Pentagon to tackle Mewtwo. As it did, it cried, "DAD!" It was a male and it looked almost exactly like him. Mewtwo gasped, (Are you…) The other replied, "It's me! It's Adam!" Mewtwo exclaimed, (You've gotten huge! You grew up fast!) He paused, looking his son over, then said, (Wait a minute… Who's the Mew?) Adam babbled excitedly, happy to have his father back, "That's Cuddles. She's part of an early litter that was born just two weeks ago. She has nineteen brothers and sisters. Nineteen! Mews are born very tiny, so she can gestate a lot of Mews at once and care for them with Grandmother Mew's help. Gestation time for Mews is just a few days and they tend to grow up incredibly fast. You were gone for two months in all and the Mews have all been multiplying like fruit flies on overdrive. Anyway, there are now over five hundred rambunctious Mews roaming around the area and Mom is pregnant with twenty more Mew kittens even as we speak of the matter. Also, all of the other scientists have abandoned the Pentagon under the onslaught of hyperactive Mews who were constantly in the way, so it's ours! We have a permanent home now! Mom told me a little about New Island, but this place is the only home I've known. It's been kind of like a time-share apartment, but now it's a home for Mews and Mewtwos." Mewtwo said, (News flash time, Adam. Our species has a second name, which everyone will eventually know us by. Just as Homo sapiens are known as humans, we Mewtwos will someday be known as 'Twos.) A small, higher-pitched voice said, "Why you go, Adam?" A two-foot-tall pink-furred baby 'Two toddled up to Adam and repeated, "Why you go?" Mewtwo fairly gasped. The baby saw him. It gave a low cry of fright and clung to Adam's leg. Adam said, "It's all okay, Eve. This here is Daddy. Eve, meet Daddy." Adam turned to Mewtwo and said, "This is my baby sister. Her name is Eve. She was born just a few days after you disappeared. From the very instant of her birth, there was no question at all that her name would be Eve. Mom never said just why. Something about a…promise? Eve was born before Mom decided it was time for the Mews to be born. But I do know this much. She's a true credit to your lineage. You wouldn't believe the power she's displayed already!" He turned back to his tiny sister and said, "Go see Mommy now, Eve. Go see Mommy." Eve nodded, let go of Adam's leg and said in her tiny voice, "I go see Mommy now, Adam." Then she toddled off into the depths of the Pentagon, her little pink tail swishing behind her as she walked. Mewtwo said, (She's very cute.) Adam replied, "And she's also your daughter, Dad. She's never met you before and she never even knew you existed, but she's your daughter all the same. Give her a little time and she'll gradually come to love you as I do. And Cuddles here likes you already. Isn't that right, Cuddles?" The little Mew nodded and slowly glided over to Mewtwo. She did a fast little midair flip, landing right on his shoulder. Then she gave him a little hug. She mewed at him several times, nuzzled up against him, purring all the while, and then hugged him again. Adam said, "Cuddles, don't get him all hugged out yet. Let Mom do that, okay?" Cuddles obediently moved away from him.  
  
Mewtwo asked, (Can we go see Mewthree? She'll probably want to see me right away.) Adam replied, "Oh, sure. I think she'll want to see you too." Mewtwo interrupted, (Just one thing. Can they come with?) Adam looked at the hundred and twenty 'Twos standing behind his father, and practically fainted. Adam turned and said, "Can you go tell Mom who just got here, please, Cuddles?" The floating, furry pixie said, "Mew." Then it quickly zipped off into the Pentagon like a little furry bolt of white kittenish lightning. Seconds later, Cuddles returned from wherever she'd gone. Hovering by Adam's head, she said, "Mew, mew, mew. Mew. Mew, mew, mew, mew, mew. Mew, mew-mew, mew!" Adam turned to Mewtwo and said, "Cuddles says that Mom's busy. She just had those Mews I told you about. Her and Grandmother Mew are busy cleaning them up. Fluffy and Fuzzy, two Mews from the same litter as Cuddles, are helping them out. Come and see! Come and see!" Cuddles landed on Adam's shoulder as he turned and briskly walked back into the Pentagon. Mewtwo followed his son. The other Mewtwos behind him also followed him. Adam didn't quite hear the soft thrum of a hundred and twenty 'Twos talking out loud, but Mewtwo was part of the conference. Everyone from Gen-P was very excited. It was one thing to see a Mew. It was quite another thing to see a great many Mews! Mewtwo said, (Calm down back there if you would, everyone. Quiet, please. We don't want to scare the kittens, do we? Thank you so much for quieting down that quickly. I want you all to stay together and follow me.) Soon they all stood outside a door. The hallway was crowded with all of them there. It was almost unbearable. But they quite happily tolerated the overcrowding in order to see Mewthree and the newborn baby Mews. Mewtwo, Cuddles and Adam stood together, practically mashed against the door by the sheer number of 'Twos crammed in the hallway. Both they and the few who had managed to get close to the door heard a very high-pitched chorus of tiny, peeping voices. From behind the three of them came a second chorus of groans. Everyone was feeling hot, squashed and incredibly impatient. Mewtwo asked, (Are you sure you can open the door with this crowd all squashed up against your back like a big can of sardines?) Adam replied, "It's okay, Dad. Trust me. By the way, the door opens inward."   
  
He slowly turned the doorknob…and everyone promptly fell through the newly opened doorway like a large sack full of hammers. Mewtwo looked up to see Mewthree standing across the way, with Mew floating by her side. Adam looked up, chuckled softly and said, "Hi, Mom. Dad's home." That was his cue to try to extricate himself from the furry, wriggling mess of floored 'Twos. He yanked on himself, but he was firmly wedged in. Then he suddenly popped out and did a forward roll with his momentum. He then ended up lying flat on his furry butt, his tail sticking out on the side. He then sat up and said, (Hi, Mewthree.) She helped him up off the floor, then practically tackled him. She fairly shrieked, "You've finally come home! Where were you? I was so worried! Did you meet Eve already? Mew wants to say hi! Did Cuddles show you in? Meet Fuzzy and Fluffy! Aren't they the best? Check this out! Did you hear about how many Mews have been born? Look at these kids!" She calmed down, then looked behind him. She said, "More Mewtwos! That's so cool! But where on Earth did they come from?" He replied, (It's a very long story.) She said, "Okay. Tell it to me a bit later, then. But, for now, I want you to meet the kids! All of you! Look at all these little Mews over here! My work of giving the world a gift of a billion Mews is going great!" She was literally hopping up and down with overjoyed glee as she spoke, very happy to have her beloved Mewtwo home at last. Upon somehow finding a way to get up while still piled on top of each other, the other 'Twos moved forward few steps. A whole wall had been removed. In its place was a huge window into another room. The other room was vast and painted with pastels. One side was littered with blocks and other small toys. The other side was totally bare, save for a small crib. On the side filled with toys, a hundred tiny Mews frolicked and played games together. On the other side, a group of newborn Mews, the size of midget mice, slept together, all in a pile. Mewthree said, "If the newborns can't see their littermates at all times, they get really fussy and grumpy. The kittens seem to need physical contact with their littermates at naptime. Otherwise they won't go to sleep. But when they're a bit older, they really like helping around the Pentagon. Take Cuddles here, for example. She just loves helping me with all kinds of stuff. Fuzzy and Fluffy both like taking care of the kittens. The others love doing all sorts of odd jobs. Oh, I forgot. Did you know this? Boy Mews and girl Mews are colored differently. Girl Mews are colored a pale pastel pink. Boy Mews are colored a light blue. And just take a look over here." On a big table in front of them was the source of the peeping calls they had heard before. There was a huge maze of gerbil tubes set up there. Twenty tiny Mews crawled through the maze, peeping like baby birds as they did so. Mewthree said, "Right now it's playtime for this group of newborns. This maze exercises their innate need to explore and learn about new things. It's always in use because there are always so many newborns to use it…" Mewtwo cut in, (And they're getting born at a very fast rate. Never in my life had I dreamed there could be so many Mews. Pretty soon we'll be up to our eyeballs in rascally little Mews. Some of them will have to leave the nest at some point…) Mewthree interrupted, "…To go colonize the world. You're quite right. But they aren't going to go right away, though. First, I want the present group to grow up. That should take just a few days, given how fast these cute little kittens grow up. Second, I have a great idea. We could set up the first Mew colony on New Island. When this group grows up a little bit more, I say we all take a little trip back to New Island. Adam and Eve should be able to visit their ancestral home. And there's a big secret hidden there that's meant for your eyes only, Mewtwo. And it's for your friends too. They should come along with us on this trip as well. Actually, it's a secret for all…uh…'Twos. Please. Let me show you." As she spoke of the secret, her eyes glittered bright with unshed tears. Mewtwo could tell that, whatever the secret was, it was very important to her. She needed to show him…to tell him. But he also saw something else hidden deep within her glittering blue eyes. Could it be…shame?   
  
Mewthree stopped the rapid-fire gestation process that required her to impregnate herself with a litter of twenty Mews every four days. Allowing some time for the current litter of newborns to mature, everyone prepared for the long trip. On a psychic summons from Mewthree who had become proficient in the use of her powers, the other Mews that roamed the Pentagon grounds gathered in the courtyard. Mewtwo, Adam, Mewthree and all the 'Twos from Gen-P went into the courtyard with all the little Mews. It was truly an impressive sight right from the get-go. There wasn't a bare horizontal or semi-horizontal surface to be found in the huge courtyard. Tiny white fairy kittens covered the entire courtyard from side to side and top to bottom. Mewthree stepped up and every Mew looked up at her and gave a little chirp to let her know that they were listening to her. It was astonishing. A vast whitish sea consisting of irresistibly cute feline creatures directed its attention toward her. She said, "Hey, kittens. We're going to be taking a trip to New Island, where Mewtwo was born and where I was remade. Call it a family history tour if you will, but we're going and we're going tomorrow. Everybody be up and at the kitchen by eight on the dot because we're starting our trip early. Don't be late, okay? Just don't."   
  
The morning came rather quickly. Everyone had a good breakfast of fruit, then assembled outside. Mewthree coordinated them as everyone took off all in a group. As soon as they were in the sky, Adam helping his baby sister to float, Mewthree glided over to Mewtwo and said, "I should have told you about the secret earlier. I really should have. I wanted to. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I just wasn't sure you were ready to know it quite yet. I was trying my best to spare you more pain. No other living being on Earth knows this secret except me. And you will soon know it too…when the time is right."   
  
In just two hours, they were back on New Island. The mansion that Mewtwo had both created and destroyed remained in perfect condition. They made to land at the mansion's front door, but Mewthree stopped them. She said, "No. Not here." She pointed down to an indentation in the rocky cliff where the waves lashed the shore and said, "There!" They all floated downward. Under her guidance, they entered the cavern and landed right in front of the staircase. Adam said, "Mom, this staircase…are we supposed to go up it?" She replied, "Not that way. This way." She pointed to an almost invisible pathway that led into darkness. Mewtwo said, "Meiwa, it looks like you're up to bat now." She replied, "Right you are, boss. I'll light the way for us. Flame on!" She did so. The darkness suddenly burned with bright light. Mewthree stepped forward to lead them on. Slipping back in time, into the mentality of Laura, she said, "Look for a sign, the notch on the wall." She traced a nearly invisible notch in the wall as she walked along. She said, "Mewtwo, I kept this place hidden extremely well. Wanna know just how well it was hidden? It was the biggest secret of all, more secret than the project itself. Several people knew of the project. Only I knew of this secret place. Not even my colleagues knew of this little path's existence. I doubt even T.J could have followed the trail I left. T.J was an incredibly talented tracker. He could track a black mouse at midnight while blindfolded. Anyway… The notch in the wall is completely invisible if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. My colleagues never knew where I went after every failure…or where Project Mewtwo's failed attempts went after they died. To them, the dead creatures just…disappeared." She stopped in a chamber that was so huge that the glow from Meiwa's light sphere didn't even touch the walls. Mewthree walked up to her, held out her paws and said, "Give it here, please." Meiwa gave her the light sphere. She took it over to an indentation carved in the wall. As she walked, she said, "The dead ones didn't disappear completely, guys. Their bodies weren't incinerated, nor were the vats they were created in destroyed. Instead, 'Two and vat together, they went here. Mewtwo, Mew, Adam, my little Mews, Gen-P 'Twos, all of you, I now solemnly bid you welcome to…the Catacombs." The moment she spoke those last two words, the light sphere she held erupted into a bright blaze of reddish-orange fire. At last, the room itself was visible. The room was huge, all right. Niches were carved in the walls as if by water or immense time. Each niche held a large vat identical to the one Mewtwo remembered from the first moments of his unnatural life. And within each and every single vat, floating in preservative fluid as if they were merely asleep and not dead, was the corpse of a 'Two. The dead 'Twos were in various stages of development. There were embryos that could have been the embryos of any creature. There were fetuses that looked like scrawny, withered versions of Eve. There were small children that reminded Mewthree, Mewtwo and Mew of baby Adam. And, most frighteningly of all, there were adults. It was as if Mewtwo were staring into a distorted mirror. A twin brother 'Two…no, that was him! Their genetic code was totally identical, so could they be brothers? Or were they really the same 'Two, albeit in very different bodies? Its eyes were wide open. Seeing…what?  
  
Mewthree interrupted his thoughts by saying, "There are twenty of them in all. Would you like to know why I brought them down here?" Mewtwo turned, glad for the distraction, and said, (Yes, I would.) She replied, "When one of our attempts would fail, my colleagues would arrange to have it incinerated. I always, always volunteered to be the one to do it. Little did they know that I didn't take the bodies to the incinerator! Instead, I brought them all right here. I laid them to rest in one of the naturally carved niches in the wall and I held a funeral for each and every one. Why did I do it, you ask? They may not have known life, but they were living creatures. They deserved the respect that would be given to any human! They didn't deserve to be forever unknown, nameless and forgotten by all! Someone had to remember them! To honor them! It wasn't their fault that they failed to survive long enough to be aware of their very own existence! They deserved better than that! They deserved life! They didn't deserve to die before they were even born!" She stopped, looked away from him and said, "I prayed for them, Mewtwo. I prayed for each and every one of them, even when they were just tiny fertilized eggs with no capacity for self-awareness. I prayed for each step of development to go well. My prayer was always the same with each one. 'Let this one live. Let this be the one who won't die like the others. Let this be the one who will awaken and know the wonder that is life.' But they never did. They never did. They always died. Sometimes they died as they awakened. It frightened me when that happened. It really did. It was reasonably okay before the accident that endowed me with the psychic powers of a Mew, but…after that…whenever one of them died…I…could…" Mewthree burst into tears. She stomped away and cried, "Do you know what it is to fail over and over? To know that each failure is a life ended? I wished for a way to make them live! But it was trial and error until I was ready to give up! When you came along, when we conceived you, I hardly dared to hope! I came and talked to out of hope that my company would make you stay, and not die like the others! I was so scared when I was quarantined! I was sure that my not being with you that one night would make you die! Do you know how horrible trial and error can be? And if you're playing that game with lives… Man, did I ever throw up a lot back then! That was because I tended to barf when nervous. And I was terrified! I could feel it as they died… So cold… Horrible! I could feel death claim them…!" Her eyes were wide, her fur was wet with tears and she fairly sobbed, "And the ones that died as they awakened… I heard them die…felt them die! The cold darkness, the screams exploding in my mind, the pain, oh God, the pain…" Her psychic powers were going wild, driven out of control by her raging emotions. Mewtwo could almost hear his dying siblings cry out, held firmly in the clutches of the agony of death. Was he living what Mewthree remembered, even as she remembered it? He definitely felt like throwing up.  
  
Mewthree turned to face him, smiling through her tears, and said in a soft, wistful voice, "When the big vat containing you broke and I saw you standing there, so strong and proud…when I heard your powerful psychic voice for the first time, I was so very happy… I knew my many prayers had finally come true. I thought to myself, At last. At last one will survive. Even as I spoke to Doctor Sinclair, arguing on your behalf, I was on the verge of bursting into tears of sheer relief and extreme joy. It was hard for me to even manage to speak to you when I spoke out to urge Doctor Sinclair to treat you nicely, because I felt so much like dancing, singing or crying my eyeballs out right then and there. I fell madly in love with you right on the spot, Mewtwo. I wanted to go proclaim my joyous news from the roofs of the world, to scream it from the mountaintops, to shout it up to the heavens and to the whole world in its entirety… Alive! He's alive! Now, at long last, Mewtwo lives! I was so happy. I wanted to hug you on the spot. Heck, I could've just walked right up to you and kissed you right about then! But I was the only one who really understood just what we'd accomplished. The others considered you to be a mere animal. There was even talk of putting you in a cage… I swore to myself that I wouldn't let that happen to you. Somehow or other, I would make them understand that you were as much a person as any of them. I would have died before seeing you in a cage. And so I vowed to make good my plan to steal you away. I figured wrongly that you weren't volatile as well as powerful, so I let them plan to cage you and run their moronic tests. Little did they all know that I was going to steal you away later! But…"   
Her smile turned to distant horror as she said, "In an instant, my exhilaration turned to terror. We had given you power, but I think it was right then that we realized we had also given you rage. And that is a gift I would never give anyone. Judy screamed as shards of glass from an exploding vat sliced her to wet, bloody ribbons. T.J tried to run, but he wasn't fast enough to outrun…the fire… When the fire died away, he didn't look human anymore. I was…glad…that he was dead… I screamed at Jim to run for his life. I told him that I would watch his back…that I would…protect him… He trusted me and ran. A wire fell down from the ceiling, severed by your psychic attack. He didn't even see it… Electrocution kills quickly. For that I am so glad… Jim! My brother! I swore I would protect him forever…and I couldn't even take him home! And Doctor Sinclair…I was right next to him when the fire parted before you. You and Doctor Sinclair locked eyes. I heard his last words. 'Is this the culmination of my dream?' Then you spoke to him. 'No more talk', you said. 'No more talk'. Then you released an energy ball and…Doctor Sinclair…exploded… As it had been with Judy, blood splattered my face as I screamed in sick horror… The next thing I remember is fire searing my face, burning away the blood. I remember thinking: If only this fire could burn away my memories as easily as the blood… My clothes were charred, so the blood that had soaked them was gone too. Then I saw you… I waited for the first blast, the first burn… I waited to die. My friends were gone and I wanted to join them. But to my joy, my wonder, my shame…you saved me." She looked at Mewtwo and gasped. All the 'Twos, including Adam, either had their paws held over their ears or were covering their eyes. She screeched, "What? What is this? What's happening?" Faint moans alerted her to what was going on, and why they seemed to be in such torment. She heard faint whispers of "Jim, run! T.J… Look out for the… Oh, God… Judy… No! The fire! Let me die let me die let me die… Mewtwo… Kill me…" They were caught in the swirl of her traumatic memories, actually reliving them as she narrated them! Someone else was suffering as she had suffered, all because of her!   
  
She screamed, "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" She tried to use her psychic powers consciously, driving away the terrible memories. The 'Twos began to recover, but they were all in tears. Eventually, they stopped crying and recovered. But Mewthree hadn't. She had yet to realize that she'd succeeded. She was screaming wildly, "No more! No more! Please stop! No more remembering! No more pain! I'll give my life…my soul…just let it end! Don't show me any more of the past!" Adam shivered at her anguished cries and stepped closer to her. Her pain frightened him terribly. She just seemed so traumatized… He said, "Mom?" Mewthree stopped right in mid-sentence and replied coolly, rapidly composing herself, "Yes, Adam?" He continued, "Mom, there is awareness here. Presences." She cut in; "I'll do a psychic scan and see just who they all are." She closed her eyes and concentrated. As she focused, she said in a distant-sounding voice, "Who are you? Let me see you. Let me know you." A single unified psychic voice, actually many different voices all rolled into one, boomed inside her head like thunder. MOTHER… She pressed her paws against her head and screamed. Then she fell like a ton of bricks. Mewtwo helped her to stand back up. He asked, (What's wrong? What happened?) She opened her eyes and yelped, "Great God almighty! I think I just opened Pandora's box! It's coming!" Reality seemed to distort and twist. Everyone could feel great power and great…evil? They shrank back against the far walls, clustering together for comfort that would not come to them. The Mews prepared to flee. Someone somewhere started to cry in fear.   
The fire that had once been Meiwa's light sphere suddenly winked out of existence. The entire world seemed consumed by a terrible, pervasive darkness. Mewthree, her sanity fractured completely, babbled insanely, "Can you feel it? Can you feel the horror? It's coming! It's coming to get us! We'll all die here! All of us! All of us! Doom! Despair! Dread! Death!" The Mews fled the area entirely, trilling loudly in a frenzy of pure shocked fright. The 'Twos quickly crowded close together, clinging to each other in a vain search for comfort that no longer existed. Hoarse, frightened voices whispered softly, "What's coming? What's going on here? Something is very wrong here. I can feel… This is very bad. Something horrible… No chance of survival, no chance… We are in very bad danger… I'm getting a definite sense of dread now. This can't be good. No! No! This can't be happening to us!" Adam and Mewtwo were glad that they'd sent Eve out to play with Cuddles on the staircase. Adam said, "Dad, I…I'm scared." Mewtwo replied, (So am I, son. So am I.) Adam's paw soon found Mewtwo's. All of the 'Twos sensed a terrible energy building all around them. Adam and Mewtwo clung to each other, shivering like a pair of badly frightened kittens. All their training in handling and controlling psychic stuff meant nothing at that point. There was nothing they could do to stop it. They were all as open to the attacking psychic wave as newborn kittens. They screamed as the psychic wave seized their minds and swept them away like so much dust. The psychic wave opened all the barriers they had created in their minds, unleashing their most personal fears to wreak havoc on each of them. Just as their minds were taken each and every one heard the terrible cries of the others as they, too, were taken. No one was spared from it. No one was immune to it. The psychic wave unlocked and unleashed their own psychic powers to attack and ravage their own minds. Buried fears, unacknowledged paranoia and hidden doubts were allowed to run rampant through their awareness, opening them all to many whole new levels of exquisite fear and torment. If ever there was a real Hades, this mental torture had to be comparable to it.   
  
Mewtwo opened his eyes to find that he was lying on a pile of soft pillows. Mewthree was asleep right next to him, clinging to his right arm as she snuggled up against him with wings spread over both her and him. Nestled against where his neck met his shoulder was a purring ball of white, downy fur. Mew was almost sacked out right on his face. Baby Adam lay with his head on Mewtwo's stomach. Every so often, he let out a soft sigh of pure contentment. This was bliss incarnate for Mewtwo. Surrounded by his family, loved and wanted, he felt he finally had a place where he could feel like he belonged. Then the unthinkable happened. Mewtwo's body began to shine blue as his power gathered of its own accord. He tried to will it away, but failed. He startled his family awake by shouting; (I've lost all control! Get away from me now! Get away while you can!) Mewthree ran for the door. Mewtwo felt his paw rising of its own will as he created an energy ball. He screamed in horror as he hurled it at her. She screamed in utter agony, but only for a split second. She fell limply, and didn't move again. Mewtwo could tell she was dead the very instant she hit the ground. He wailed in pure despair and anguish. Mew shot toward the doorway like a flash, but she wasn't fast enough to evade or outrun the bolt of lightning that erupted from Mewtwo's unwilling body. She let out a high, squealing cry of betrayed terror as it struck her full on. She was swatted like a fly against the far wall. She stayed smashed against the wall for a long instant. Then her lifeless body began to slide down the wall, leaving a thickly smeared trail of blood behind her as she slowly fell. Adam stood in the middle of the room, totally petrified with fright. Mewtwo turned toward him next. Adam held his paws up to shield himself from his father and begged, "No, Daddy! Don't! DON'T-" Then Adam burst into flame. Mewtwo screamed, trying in vain to drown out Adam's agonized shrieks with his own. Mewtwo prayed for his screams to end and cried inside when they did. He looked up after a few very long seconds of shaking like a leaf and screaming. Momentarily he saw that all that remained of his beloved little son was a smallish circle of charred floor, some smelly, greasy ashes and a pitiful pile of blackened bones. Mew had died almost instantly of a broken neck, among other numerous impact-generated injuries. A blood vessel had just burst inside Mewthree's brain, and her heart had also exploded under the onslaught of Mewtwo's terrible power. Just as quickly as it had first come upon him, the force that had compelled Mewtwo to unwillingly murder his family released him. He knelt by Mewthree's limp corpse and took her in his arms for the last time. He said, (As it was in the beginning, I am alone. I loved you so much. So my power took you away from me. What good is my power if I can only hurt people with it? WHAT GOOD AM I?) Amid the ruins of what had been his home, surrounded by the corpses of his family, Mewtwo wept. It was what he had feared all along. The danger inherent in his power had taken shape at last.  
  
Mewthree crouched low against a black wall, shrinking back in sheer terror. Everything was dark, except for one harsh beam of white light that shone on her like an accusing searchlight. Voices came out of the unfathomable darkness to accuse and condemn her. "You deny our past. You wear the blood of our forefathers. You speak loving words but your heart is deceitful. You let us suffer." She replied in a shaking voice, trying in vain not to cry, "You don't understand…I was trying to protect you…" Hundreds of Mews and 'Twos, all burned, bloodied, dead yet horribly animate, stood before her. One by one, they spoke their condemnations in voices like thunder. "Those who serve with you, you sacrifice. Without guilt, you act. Always pretending to act in our best interest… While the interests you truly protect are Humanity's…or your own!" One 'Two slowly stepped forward, not meeting her tearful gaze, and said in a cold voice, "You try to be mother of all but you are mother to none." The lone 'Two's eyes snapped open and met her gaze in an instant. His eyes burned like twin stars of purest hatred. "You could not even be a true mother to me… Could you, mother?" It was Adam, who had loved her so and who she had lost to Team Rocket. They were her children and she had failed them. Mewtwo stepped forward. He, too, was dead yet living to accuse her. She had tried to deny her feelings that she was unworthy of trying to breed Mews and 'Twos, but her lies had caught up with her. It was Judgement Day at last. Trapped in a web spun of her own lies and deceit, Mewthree knew she faced the end.   
  
Adam, in the form of a baby, stood on a barren, lifeless plain, crying, "Mommy! Daddy! Where are you? Don't leave me here!" Suddenly there was a presence behind him. A familiar voice said, "They've gone away. You drove them away." Adam cried, "No! No! That's not true!" He turned and Jessie stood there, as tall and imposing as a giant. She said, "Don't lie to me, child! You know it's the truth! Why else would they go away? You didn't love them enough!" Adam replied softly, starting to cry, "Please, Jessie! It's not my fault…what happened…" Jessie put her hands on her hips, glowered at him and said in an accusing tone as the ghostly outline of a Mew appeared, "And what happened to your Mew sister wasn't your fault either, I suppose?" Adam lunged toward the Mew, trying in vain to embrace it, but it vanished like a smoky ghost. Adam cried, "No! I tried to save her! Precious…" Jessie said accusingly, "Do you deny that you abandoned me? That you ran off to your beloved Pentagon and left me to be punished by Team Rocket?" Adam crumpled to the ground, unable to meet Jessie's gaze. He replied in a weak voice, "You didn't want me…" Beginning to fade away just as the Mew had, Jessie proclaimed, "Wretched child! No one wanted you! And no one shall want you or ever love you and you will suffer as alone as you let me suffer!" Adam cried, reaching out to her, "Jessie!" But she was gone. His mother was gone. His father was gone. And he would be alone until the day that he died.  
  
The 'Twos lay together in a big furry pile, all squirming and moaning fitfully, each caught up in his or her own private nightmare. Being the one who was best able to deal with feeling judged inside and outside of her own mind, Mewthree was the one who awakened first. She, after all, had lived her entire life with harsh trauma and unending feelings of inadequacy. Using her innate psychic power as Mewtwo had painstakingly taught her, she began to enter each nightmare and bring them out of it. Under her gentle yet implacable command, each and every 'Two sat back, rested and let her awaken more. It was a while before she got to the only one she really cared about: Mewtwo himself. She entered his mind with the greatest care and began to slowly pierce the veil of sorrow that he had drawn around himself. Guiding him with her unending, undying, bottomless love, she would make him see the light and the truth. She, after all, loved him with all her heart and soul, had loved him right from the exact moment of his creation so very long ago.  
  
Mewtwo cradled Mewthree's lifeless body in his arms and wept unashamedly. He almost thought he heard Mewthree's disembodied, ghostly voice singing the song that she had sung to him when she was still Laura and he was still asleep in the vat. Hearing that song only made him weep harder. He cried out to the world at large, (Why? Oh God, why? Why did this have to happen? Why did you ever have to befriend me, Laura? Was it your love and your friendship that…that made you die by my hand? Why did you have to be so kind to me?) Then a painfully, impossibly familiar voice said, "Because I love you, Mewtwo." He looked up from Mewthree to…Mewthree. She smiled down at him and said, "That's right, Mewtwo. I'm quite alive. And this is all just a stupid little dream." She reached out to him and said, "Take my hand, my love. Let me guide you out of your darkness. If you'll let me help you out, we'll check out of this kooky dump and go back to the real world." He hesitantly reached out and took her paw. She said in a frank tone, "We've still got a big job to do, Mewtwo, and, by God, we'll do it. We're both needed…out there." A door of white light opened in the air before the two of them. Paw in paw, Mewtwo and Mewthree left the horrible dream of darkness and pain behind them. As they walked together from the world of dark dreams, Mewthree looked over at him and said softly, "No matter what happens, even if it's a terrible thing, you have to accept it. Don't blame yourself for past mistakes…just take it on yourself…as your own. Even if you feel that you've failed, or that you've lost, accept it as part of yourself. Your worth, your value is not in whether you win or lose. I know that only too well, Mewtwo. Only too well…" The light spread forward and enveloped them both and then took them away, but not before she gave Mewtwo a kiss.   
Adam knelt on the plain, crying his heart out. He felt a presence behind him. A voice said, "Do you trust me?" Mewthree stood there, holding her paw out to him. She asked again, "Do you trust me?" He ran to her, crying, "MOMMY!" She picked him up in her arms and together they walked through the door of light that opened in the air before them. As they moved toward the light, Mewthree said, "Did you really think I would abandon you?" Adam replied, "Well…kind of." She said, "I would never do that. I'm your mom and I love you very much. I will love you forever, Adam. Forever." Mewthree kissed his furry cheek as the light enfolded them and took them both home.   
  
All having been awakened at long last, still very badly shaken by the hideous nightmares that had consumed them mere moments ago, the 'Twos all sat together and sort of did a group hug. Everyone shivered and was silent, save for a few soft whimpers. There was a dull, wet sort of crackling noise all around them and an ugly, foul stench surrounded them all. Adam said, "Jeez! What the heck is that awful smell?" Mewtwo fairly shrieked, (Some sort of noxious slime just splashed all over me! Meiwa! Give us a light sphere so we can see!) Meiwa replied, "Right you are, boss! One light sphere, coming up on the double. Flame on!" Then she made a light sphere. As she had before, she handed it to Mewthree, who used it to light the torch in the wall. Then the room was visible again. But there had been a drastic change in the scenery while all of them had been knocked out. Where before there had been twenty huge glass vats of preservative fluid containing the corpses of twenty 'Twos, there were now twenty metal rims lying amid twenty piles of broken glass and large splattered puddles of stinky goo. The corpses were gone. Just plain gone. There was no sign whatsoever of where they had gone. Also, the entire floor of the chamber was just one big puddle of foul-smelling goo. Mewtwo crouched down low, stuck his paw into the goo and, despite the awful stench of the stuff, sniffed at it. Then he said, (Wait a second! Wait a second! I know this smell! This smells like what I was floating in when I first woke up in the vat!) Mewthree replied, "You're absolutely right about that, Mewtwo! It really does smell just like that disgusting slime you sprayed all over me when you shook yourself off after breaking out of the vat!" Mewtwo looked at her as if she had just pulled her tongue out of her nose. She saw how he was staring at her and giggled nervously, then said to him softly, "Don't you remember doing that to me?"   
  
Adam cut in, "Cut the funny stuff, Mom! We gotta find out what caused the vats to break and what happened to the corpses! We gotta figure out where they went!" A thundering voice said, "It's simple, little cat…we went here." Almost as if they were one, all the 'Twos turned and looked for the source of the voice. They found it, all right. Twenty soaked, withered-looking 'Twos stood between them and the only exit from the cavern. Their eyes seemed to burn with unnatural fierce fire. Mewthree saw them and promptly flipped out. She started hopping up and down, screaming, "Oh my God! Oh my God! Zombie 'Twos!" One of the previously dead ones snarled at her, "We're not zombies!" She was far too freaked out to hear what they said. Then one of them leapt forward and grabbed her. The 'Two that held her retreated behind a massive psychic barrier that the others set up. Mewthree screamed and struggled. Mewtwo beat against the barrier with everything he had, shouting and cursing. Adam was screaming for his mother. The 'Two that grabbed Mewthree simply held her head against its slim, wet chest so she could hear its heart. That convinced her. Then she said, "It's okay, Mewtwo. They're all quite alive."  
Having released Mewthree upon showing her the truth, the formerly dead 'Twos and the others settled down to talk. The leader of the previously dead 'Twos, a thin, shriveled male, said, "From our glass wombs we have dreamed of you, and all that you have done. We saw the destruction and recreation of the mansion above this place. The hurricane did not escape our notice. We saw you flee, only to be captured by soldiers at a secret military base. We saw you break free and go forth to find Mew. We saw you fight the other hurricane and Laura's unexpected transformation as the waves took her into their grasp. We saw the birth of Adam and his subsequent kidnapping by Team Rocket. We know of the liberation of the Gen-P 'Twos. We know of Eve and Cuddles, and even of Fuzzy and Fluffy. We know of your plans for breeding Mews and 'Twos. We know why you have come here. We know of Adam's adopted Mew sister Precious and what happened to her. And we know of Team Rocket's pursuit as you returned to this place."   
  
Mewtwo said in a shrill psychic squeal, (What did you just say about Team Rocket?) One of the previously dead 'Twos said, "Oh, hasn't that happened yet?" Mewtwo abruptly turned away from them and said to the others, (Everyone, listen up! We've been found! Team Rocket is coming! We gotta get ready! Looks like it's gonna be a full-scale siege on the mansion! Let's get going before they get here! Follow me!) Everyone leapt into action, following Mewtwo's rapidly rapped-out orders without even so much as a pause.  
  
The hundred and forty three 'Twos ran up the stairs and into the mansion. As they ran, Mewthree sent a psychic summons to the five hundred Mews, who had stayed around despite being scared off. They gathered together in the main hall. Mewtwo climbed atop the banquet table and said, (Listen, everyone! Team Rocket is coming even as we speak! They're coming to get us! But we can stop them! We can protect ourselves! Our powers and just a few improvised tools are all that we need to succeed in this! Here's the plan…)  
The windows on the second, third and fourth floors were systematically and carefully smashed out to allow all of the 'Twos who were going to be positioned there to act as psychic archers. A large network of tunnels was psychically drilled right beneath the grassy ground around the mansion, mere centimeters from the surface, and then held up through pure psychic power for an ambush. Mewtwo held a quick review course on shields and energy balls for those who needed to review the principles behind it or who just wanted a little extra practice before the fight started. The Mews took up positions on the roof and psychically disguised themselves as a flock of common pigeons. An extremely powerful energy dome was created right over the Mew-guarded roof to prevent any airborne vehicles from landing up there. Any and all windows and doors on the first floor were quickly blocked off and reinforced with whatever metal or other resilient material was readily available for use. The huge doors to the underground chambers beneath the island were also sealed off and reinforced. A huge mazelike series of internal blockades and booby traps was set up inside the great winding corridors of the mansion itself, just in case their main defenses were breached at any point during the battle. Little Eve was hidden away at the very center of the mansion, along with Mewthree. Mewthree's strange, semi-superior powers were kept in reserve for an unforeseen yet all too possible major emergency, as were the abnormally strong powers of all of the previously dead 'Twos. Apparently, their relatively long sojourn in the realm of death had given the lot of them the power to channel and control the ebb and flow of fear itself. The Mews were all assigned to the primary sea watch because they could hide their true forms and make others see them as whatever they wanted to be seen as. For this little endeavor, they would all disguise themselves as pigeons. They also had superior eyesight, scanning the area for any and all boats coming their way. But the majority of the invasion had to come in by air, so most of the Mews actually watched for that. Only half the 'Twos were acting as psychic archers. The others were all either held in reserve or were only supposed to go into action if the mansion's defenses were ever breached. But they all really wanted to see some action. Mewtwo really wanted to see some action as well. He would have loved to just plain burst forth from the mansion like a furry feline avenging angel to take on his hated enemy in one-on-one unarmed combat. His pure, unadulterated hatred for Giovanni knew no limits whatsoever. He really wanted to see that horrible man dead. But he had other responsibilities he had to take care of first and a large army to lead into battle. He was the supreme leader of all of the 'Twos, after all. 


	4. Victory, Washington D.C, Revenge And A T...

  
Given a free moment, Mewtwo said; (Giovanni is leading them. I can feel it. But how did he survive? We destroyed the building with him in it!) Candy replied, "Just as we were flying out of there, I picked the brain of one of the low-ranking guards in the building. Apparently Giovanni was out doing an on-site inspection of a secondary facility at the time we broke out, so nothing happened to him." Mewtwo groaned, (How many times do we have to kill this stupid jerk before he finally gets the point and dies?) Candy replied, "Beats me all to heck, Mewtwo. That dirty rat seems to have more lives than us, doesn't he? Goodness knows we all want to see him dead, but I don't know when or if we'll ever succeed at it." Mewtwo slapped himself over the head, stomped around a little bit, counted to ten and sighed. He said, (Okay. I think it's about time we got this junk started.) Adam quietly came up beside him and said, striking up a rather dynamic yet ridiculous little pose as he spoke, "So it's to be a war now, is it? Check this out, Candy! Comrades in battle, to the skirmish must we hence." Candy replied with a big smile, striking up a ridiculous pose as well, "Indeed. Let us hence." Mewtwo interrupted impatiently, (Oh, let's not waste any more time sitting on the 'hence'. Time to prepare for battle, 'Twos!)  
  
Cuddles and her twin sister Darling were the ones who first raised the proximity alarm, which all the other Mews quickly took up with all their might, making an awful psychic din as per the master plan. A group of small, fast ships were coming in from the east. And there were also dozens of large helicopters coming in, also from the east. The helicopters would have to land on the front lawn, where the carefully rigged underground traps would take them all out in less than an instant. But the approaching ships were probably going to be the real problem. Their occupants, an extremely well-trained Team Rocket invasion force, would most likely scale the cliff and commence the attack from there. All the Mews already knew how to shield themselves and make energy balls, not to mention how to wreak severe telekinetic havoc wherever they wished, whenever they wished, on whomever they wished, and all on a mere whim. Under Mewtwo's specific orders, the Mews stayed hidden in their pigeon disguises and the 'Twos stayed well out of sight as the helicopters, having been prevented from making their planned landing on the roof by some unknown, unseen force, landed right on the lawn in front of the mansion. They were perfectly positioned over the booby traps. They all watched the scene below with blazing eyes and brightly burning rage as their archenemy appeared on the battlefield. Giovanni hopped out of the leading helicopter and looked up at the mansion with an expression of pure anger written all over his face. His subordinates quickly gathered all around him, patiently waiting for him to give his orders. The helicopters were still running on neutral and some of the others were still just getting out. Just then, he had a flash of intuition. He said to himself softly, "It's way too quiet here. I smell a rat with this whole setup. It can't be this easy. Nothing's ever this easy when dealing with those accursed Mewtwos. It's gotta be a ruse. Spread out fast, men! Be ready for absolutely anything, no matter how strange it may be! Prepare to enter the building on my orders!"   
  
Just then, Mewtwo said in a tightly focused psychic burst, (Release the tunnel supports!) The 'Twos who had been assigned to that task promptly did exactly what they were told to do. Outside, carnage rapidly became vastly prevalent. Giovanni and his subordinates leapt aside like a group of oversized frogs in business suits as the helicopters were caught in an avalanche of mysteriously collapsing ground and, one by one, exploded in flashes Since the helicopters had been rendered worthless, the boats were far more necessary.  
  
The Team Rocket soldiers scaled the high cliff in no time flat and then patiently awaited Giovanni's orders. They were quickly sent in to seize the mansion by force. They were supposed to try to capture as many 'Twos as they possibly could and just plain kill all the rest. But, unbeknownst to them all, the 'Twos were more than ready for it. One of the soldiers thought he almost saw a faint flicker of motion in one of the many windows as someone or something drew backward, out of all sight. They had the uncanny sensation of being watched by the eyes of untold hundreds. Even the multitudinous pigeons sitting high atop the mansion roof seemed to be watching their movements with great intensity. The feeling that took hold of them was a sense of foreboding, as if they were in danger.  
  
The psychic archer 'Twos at the windows were constantly sending in their reports of the soldiers' movements in a great, unceasing stream of images. Mewtwo heard them all and saw what they saw as they saw it themselves. He then ordered; (Now! Begin the battle! All archers, open fire! Mews, it's time to go!) The 'Twos stationed at the windows began heaving energy balls out at the soldiers. Some of the more adventurous among them tried using bolts of lightning. Their shields were up at full strength and they didn't even bother to stay out of the soldiers' sights any more. So what if the soldiers saw them and were able to lock onto them? They were protected from bullets and physical things like that! The huge flock of pigeons up on the roof simultaneously flashed a bright pink and, an instant later, in their place was a vast flock of flying white-furred kittens enveloped in big balls of hot pink light. Mews! The Mews floated around on erratic courses, almost seeming to circle the shocked soldiers playfully. Wherever the Mews passed by on their wavering circular movements, there was pure carnage and total pandemonium. Machines malfunctioned for no apparent reason, things moved around of their own accord and all sorts of strange accidents happened. Could telekinesis be the force that was at work here?   
Meiwa, the 'Two manning the corner window on the top floor, got really adventurous and decided to use her own particular talent to aid in the fight against Team Rocket. She teleported from her vantagepoint at the window and quickly appeared on the battlefield. Teleporting over and over, moving to the rhythm created by the beating of her heart, she daringly taunted the increasingly irritated soldiers and challenged them to try to hit her. Carnage ensued as all the soldiers simultaneously went after the golden-furred 'Two. Three little Mews quickly left the rest of the rapidly circling Mew group and then fell in line behind her, alternating between taking out the offending Team Rocket soldiers and protecting Meiwa from any and all dangers that managed to get past her already strong defenses. She rapidly zigzagged through the lines of soldiers toward Giovanni himself.   
  
Teleporting herself with each second, keeping time to a double beat that only she heard, she took out Giovanni's guardians before anyone could even begin to react to the shock of her sudden presence. Then she stood before him, her tail swishing with excited, happy pride. She smiled, then winked at him and giggled. In less than an instant, she swiftly stepped forward and grabbed him. Before he could even think of reacting to her presence, she swept him off his feet and kissed him on the mouth. Being kissed by a 'Two, the very creature he hated with all his heart and soul, took him aback. Her kiss was like a powerful toxin, paralyzing him just long enough for her to clasp his limp body tight against her and rapidly teleport the both of them back to the mansion. The soldiers tried to stop her, but she was far too quick for them. Not to mention the three loyal little Mews, helping her to escape from them. Soon she was back inside the safety of the mansion…along with her new captive. She said to the three Mews, "Cuddles, Fuzzy, Fluffy… Could you take over for me here for a little bit? Call up Darling and have her help you out with this! Get Sweetheart and Cutie to come, too! Get Pixie, Kitten and Fairy to help out! Just get some help for yourselves!" The three Mews quickly chirped their assent, took up their positions at the window and began hurling energy balls one after another. Meiwa left her post to the Mews and ran to the mansion's interior to show Mewtwo her catch. She ran swiftly down the stairs, taking them two by two in her haste, and sprinted down the wide hallways. As she neared the front center window, where Mewtwo waited in reserve, she began to shout, "Hey there, Mewtwo! I just pulled a major coup on those Team Rocket boys out there! Look what I got!" Mewtwo turned and saw that she held his hated enemy in a faux-love embrace. He exclaimed, (Whoa! What did you-How did you-) She opened up her mind to him and let him see just what she had done to apprehend Giovanni. Once he had seen into her memories, he blurted out, (You kissed him? You really kissed that scum?) She replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, I kissed him. But this was not an ordinary kiss, you see! It was a kiss of purest venom, meant to paralyze him and ensnare him! And it worked, too!" Mewtwo said, (That was good work, Meiwa. You should go clean yourself with a strong disinfectant after the fight. We wouldn't want his stupidity to infect you, would we?) Meiwa giggled and left to return to her post and continue the fight. The Team Rocket soldiers were badly demoralized by the abrupt loss of their leader. Giovanni's sudden capture had shaken them badly. The Mews and 'Twos who were waiting around and within the mansion pressed the advantage. Jumping, levitating and teleporting, they all left the shelter of the mansion and stood upon the battlefield, showing their superior numbers to the soldiers. The air fairly crackled with the energy released from their psychic shields. With a huge flash of electric blue light, Mewtwo himself took the lead position. He said, (Soldiers of Team Rocket. Hear our words and know this is the end. We have you outgunned, outclassed and outnumbered. We also have your leader. You have lost. But we, the rightful owners of New Island, shall be merciful. Leave this island now…or die.) There was silence over the battlefield. None of the 'Twos moved a muscle or even spoke, nor did any of the Team Rocket soldiers. Not knowing what else to do and certainly not about to trust their inhuman opponents, the soldiers suddenly opened fire on the lot of them. Their reactions to the soldiers' rash actions made instantaneous look slow. Although it was completely unnecessary for him to do so, Mewtwo commanded, (Return fire!) Energy balls once more bridged the gap between the ranks of Team Rocket soldiers and the ranks of mutant cats and fairy kittens. The soldiers inexorably retreated toward the cliff and the Mews and 'Twos relentlessly advanced, all the while rapidly throwing out energy balls as they came relentlessly onward. Twelve 'Twos were struck down and were out of the fight, having been shot in various places. The nimble, quick little Mews dodged all the shots with room to spare. Although Mews and 'Twos usually weren't killers, the soldiers died for what they had done and what they had tried to do. Peaceful little Mews quickly became bloodthirsty murderers. Even the meekest of the 'Twos went on the warpath with slaughter in mind. Even the sweet and gentle Mewthree, who normally wouldn't even dream of hurting a fly, killed with wild and mad abandon, brutally slaughtering any and all soldiers unlucky enough to venture within her reach and laughing wildly with pure bloodlust as she did so. None of the 'Twos really cared much about the atrociousness of their behavior. They just wanted the invading soldiers gone as soon as possible. No amount of violence or killing could ever possibly be too much to expel the hated invaders from their home territory.  
  
Soon the Team Rocket soldiers were back in their boats and speeding away as fast as they possibly could. The 'Twos hurled energy balls after them although they were out of range, loosing their deadly energies as a warning never to return. The Mews had already begun the victory celebration, pirouetting through the blue sky and mewing with pure happiness. Most of the 'Twos didn't join in the victory celebration, although a few did. They couldn't do it just yet, because they had to tend to the wounded. Amber was one of the injured, having been shot in the arm. T.C bandaged her arm with what had once been a towel. Everyone watching could see the seeds of budding romance blossoming with each touch and each look they gave each other. Others talked about their experiences in battle. The leader of the previously dead 'Twos, whom Mewthree had quickly named Lazarus, stomped around and complained that he hadn't seen any action. With each passing second, he was acting more like a normal 'Two and less like a spaced-out zombie. Mewthree sort of floated through the crowd, asking how everyone was doing. Ana had hooked up with Frost, who was very badly shaken, and was comforting her. Frost had also succumbed to blood lust as the others had, and it had terrified her to no end. She had killed the Team Rocket soldiers without mercy and now she felt guilty about it. Mewthree was shocked to find that she actually didn't mind what she had done.  
  
Mewtwo, tail lashing with angry excitement, watched the ships disappear over the horizon. He thought to himself, Good riddance. Adam sidled up next to him and said, "Team Rocket doesn't forget this stuff. They'll retaliate. You can bet on it. I picked Giovanni's brain right after Meiwa got him and I learned this: They don't want us to go public with our accusation. They will kill to stop us from going public. Believe me." Mewtwo replied, (But you're forgetting one thing. We have their leader. Judging from what little I know and what I can guess, every important decision in Team Rocket has to be made by him and him alone. If we take him down to Washington D.C and make our accusation on the White House lawn with him in tow, we'll be home free and then some. They'll be unable to stop us once we're there and once we're there stopping us will be a moot point. We're almost home free! We've almost won it!) He was interrupted by the sudden arrival of T.C, who slowly came up beside him and said, "We have to get them to a hospital quickly. Everyone's been bandaged up as well as can be expected, given our meager supplies, but Amber and Subzero, not to mention Mercury and Ana and eight others, are all bleeding pretty badly. They need professional medical help." Mewtwo said, (Okay, then. Let's go to Washington D.C and take them to a hospital there. That way they can get medical attention while we go public with our accusation against Team Rocket.) Adam said, "That's a very good idea, Dad. I'll go spread it around and tell everybody to get ready to go." He turned and waded into the milling crowd, yelling, "Hey! We're going to be moving out pretty soon, everyone! Get ready to help float the injured! We'll be moving out in just a few minutes! Get the wounded over to the middle right now!" The Mews and 'Twos responded to his shouted commands with great speed.  
  
Sure enough, they were in the sky in a few minutes, going at Mach 3. Amber, Snowfall, Mercury, Ana and the other eight wounded were at the center of a cloud of Mews and 'Twos. T.C floated from one injured 'Two to the next, checking on them and seeing if they needed anything. He checked on Amber most of all. He loved her. That much was plain. T.C asked Mewtwo when they would arrive, relaying the question to the nearest 'Two, who relayed it to the nearest 'Two, who relayed it to the nearest 'Two…and so on. Mewtwo replied, (We're here!) They swooped downward to cruise over the capital of the United States. They saw big buildings, massive monuments and huge expanses of open grassy parks. But they didn't see a hospital. Then Mewthree realized that none of the 'Twos knew what the heck they were supposed to be looking for. So she quickly took charge of the bewildered group of cats. Using her psychic power to enhance her visual range, she looked all around. Then she said, "I see a red cross symbol. It's right over there. This way!" Meiwa asked, "How are you so sure that the symbol you see means a hospital?" Mewthree replied, "I used to be a human. I know this stuff like you know your fur. I worked at a hospital all through college and even for some time after that. We all rallied around the Red Cross at times like these. So believe me, I know this kind of stuff." They swooped down out of the sky to land at the hospital's front door. The 'Twos all milled around, and the Mews just sort of hovered nervously. Mewthree said loudly, "Yo! You guys just stay right out here and wait for us. I'll take them all into the hospital myself. Okay now, I want everyone to keep a sharp and constant lookout for anyone or anything that might possibly have even the remotest connection to Team Rocket. We have to protect ourselves, even though we have Giovanni as our prisoner. I want all you Mews to get your furry little butts out of the sky and just plain keep the 'Twos company. Everybody's pretty darn scared here. Just try to stay calm, everyone. Mewtwo, you're in charge of keeping the peace out here. Focus on staying calm. Heck, wander around the place a bit. Go check out the memorials and the parks and some other stuff like that. Just one small thing, though. Be back here on Mewtwo's summons. If you're not all back here in precisely five minutes after he calls you back, I'll send a Mew after you with specific instructions to give you a huge tail wedgie upon finding you. You guys got that?" Everyone nodded in agreement. The wounded were gently herded toward the sliding twin doors, where Mewthree waited. Once they were standing together at the front of the huge milling crowd of mutant cats and fairy kittens, she slowly led them on into the building.   
The antiseptic stench, cream-colored linoleum floors and barren whitewashed walls made Mewthree feel like she had come home. She'd always liked working at hospitals. The environment took her back to her college years. Folding her wings tightly against her furry back, she walked up to the receptionist's desk and rang the service bell. The receptionist strolled in, saw her and froze with eyes the size of saucers. Mewthree said, "Hi there, miss. I am Mewthree and I have twelve gunshot victims behind me here. Nobody's in really bad shape here, but they're all bleeding and we have serious risk of infection from these wounds. For those who aren't in-one-end-and-out-the-other, I'd recommend removing the embedded bullets, applying disinfectant, then stitching up the wounds and adding more disinfectant. For those who don't have bullets embedded in their bodies, I would recommend plain disinfectant and stitches. And yes, I am a high level doctor. Now please get someone to help me with this." Finally seizing upon something she actually knew after being confronted with the unknown, the receptionist quickly sounded the high-priority case alarm. Doctors came running in seconds. As they began to work on the shooting victim 'Twos, Mewthree promptly jumped in to help them.  
About half an hour later, Mewthree had finished her job. Everybody had gotten the care they had needed. All they needed now was a bit of rest. After checking out and letting them know where she was going, she then walked back outside and sought out Mewtwo.   
  
When she finally found him, she said, "I'm gonna go up to New York for a little bit. It's just about half an hour from here when you can fly around as fast as I can. That's where my parents live now, or so I've heard when I checked out the residential listings back at the Pentagon. I intend to enter their home and let Mom and Dad know I'm alive. They probably thought I died with the others on New Island when you did your thing." Mewtwo asked, (But why didn't you go contact them after I rescued you? You had two years to do it!) Mewthree replied, suddenly crying, "I… The pain was so bad… I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to face them…tell them that their son, my brother, was dead. Please, Mewtwo. I really have to go do this." Mewtwo understood her pain, so he said, (Go right ahead and go see them, Mewthree. Adam just went and called a huge press conference at the hospital. The news crews should be arriving here any minute now. The world at large will know of our existence and our many accusations against Team Rocket within the hour. We've got things pretty much held down here and stuff's pretty much been taken care of. Go see your parents.) Charging down the sidewalk a few long steps, loitering 'Twos quickly clearing a path before her, she swiftly took to the air, spread her milky-white wings, circled high overhead once and then rapidly flew off. As she flew north toward her parents' new home, she remembered her previous life as Laura Meisenheimer. She tried to push the memories away and concentrate on flying. But she just couldn't do it. Her thoughts were far too turbulent for her to push away for very long.   
  
Her parents had to think she was dead. They knew of the destruction of New Island and she hadn't contacted them since then. The more she thought about it, the more certain she became that she had to tell them that she still lived. But would they recognize her in her new form? She would face that problem when she came to it. She'd never tried to go see her parents since the accident on New Island, much less tried to reach their home by air. It would be a very hard trip. She hadn't been good at finding a location when she was on the ground. Doing it from the air would be even harder. She just hoped she could do it. When she finally saw the light tan-shingled roof, the sky blue siding and the harshly whitewashed trim, she knew she'd found the right place. By that time, it was the middle of the night and she was glad that her vision was twice as sharp as any true cat's. Her silken wings barely stirred the night air, making no sound whatsoever. She could fly just as quietly as an owl, if not even more so. She landed between a big tree and the door and then folded her white wings behind her. For a long moment, the female psychic feline stood utterly motionless on the lawn, pondering her turbulent past. Then she slowly moved toward the front door. She reached out and tested it ever so gently. It was firmly locked. It appeared that her mother was just as safety-crazed as she had ever been. The thought made her smile, but then she got down to the business at hand. She wouldn't even try to get in that way. She thought she didn't stand a chance of getting in that way. Instead, she quietly moved toward a window and looked at it, thinking of how to get into the house. The screen was latched tightly and the window was fully closed. That couldn't stop her for very long, though. She, after all, had naturally strong psychic powers, just like her beloved Mewtwo. She stood stone still, feeling a gentle heat on her furry cheeks as her eyes began to blaze a bright, icy blue. The screen and the window latch both began to glow faintly, seeming to reflect the color of her eyes. As if moved by unseen hands, the screen slowly unlatched and then raised up. Then the latch of the window itself slowly turned and released, and the window raised up as well. Her chosen way into her parents' house was now open to her. She carefully crawled in through the window and then found herself standing in the living room. Her enhanced vision allowed her to see every last detail of the room, even though it was dark. There was a large wooden desk on one side of the room. There were several small candles on it, but the candles weren't what captured her attention. In the center of it all was a photograph of her former self, Laura Meisenheimer. It was a memorial to her. Mewthree slowly stepped closer to it, feeling the old, familiar pain stir within her heart. Next to the picture of her former self was an old newspaper clipping about the strange accident that had annihilated New Island. The date… It was dated seven years ago. "Seven years," she whispered softly, "God, has it really been that long since New Island happened? Feels like yesterday, but it's been seven years… Seven years since…Jim…" The thought of her dead brother hurt terribly.  
  
She then picked up the photograph. Holding it up before her eyes, she lightly traced the contours of the face that had once been hers. Staring into the image's eyes, their vibrant glimmer exactly the same no matter what shape she wore, she solemnly shook her head and said softly, "Laura… Mewthree… Human… 'Two…" Her face contorted in utter pain as a flood of tears came to her big blue eyes. She sobbed, "Two very different women… Two very different lives… But which one am I? God, can't I ever be a whole person again?" The pain crashed in on her again, making years feel like seconds and her new life as Mewthree seem like only a shadow of a dream. Crumpling to the floor, she clutched the picture tightly to her chest and wept both for her brother and for herself.   
  
The darkness exploded into light as a familiar voice shouted at her, "Who's there? Show yourself!" Mewthree knew that voice very well. It was… "Daddy?" The bald man standing at the top of the stairs paused. Mewthree slowly stood up, folding her wings behind her. The man took a small step back and gasped, "You…you're not…" Mewthree smiled and finished for him, "Human? Of course I'm not human. I am called Mewthree. It is what I am, and it is my name as well. But I have another name too. My real name is Laura. Mom… Daddy… It's me." A middle-aged woman stomped forward and snarled at her, "How dare you profane our dead child's memory, you…you animal!" Mewthree giggled at that and said frankly, "Same short temper as ever, huh, Mom?" The man cut in abruptly; "If you're so sure of your identity, creature…then I dare you to prove it to us."   
  
Mewthree swished her tail and then said, "Do you remember when Jim was born? How everybody was so scared? I cried and cried. Grandma stayed with me. Just after midnight, Daddy called to tell us that I had a baby brother. Grandpa drove home and took us to the hospital. When I first saw Jim…he looked so fragile that I didn't even touch him until he was three days old. I thought he would shatter! But he was a strong boy. The nurses knew it. They…they called him Jaws! When he got older, Daddy and I called him Weasel Boy because he was a total nut. We all called him Jimmy. Jimmy Jim James, you know." The woman said, "That was our little secret. No one outside the family ever knew it. That has to mean…" The man said in a tiny voice, "Laura?" Mewthree nodded ever so slowly.  
  
The next thing Mewthree knew, she was caught in a huge hug. Her father said, "We though you were dead for seven years! Why the heck didn't you tell us you actually survived the New Island disaster?" Mewthree stepped back and said, her voice shaking, "I just couldn't, Mom. I couldn't bear to tell you that Jim had been killed there…" Her mother interrupted, "But he wasn't killed at all! The debris fell just so, and it shielded him from any and all harm! He was badly burned and he got electrocuted somehow, but Jim is alive! Everyone believed he was the only survivor of the New Island disaster!" Mewthree jumped straight up, nearly hit the ceiling, then grabbed her and put her face close to her mother's and said in a strained voice that was almost an incredulous yell, "What? Hold the phone! Say it again, please! Wait just a darn minute there, Mom… Jim is actually alive?" Her mother slowly nodded to her. Mewthree let go of her, shouted for joy and did a victory dance right then and there, whooping wildly and cheering. Then she fell down and wept with relief and confusion. "My brother is alive," she sobbed, "And I don't know how to act. Will he know me? Heck, you didn't know me! After all the pain he went through, how can I face him again? How can I face him when I've changed so much? How can I just come back into his life again after so many years have passed? What right do I have to waltz back into the picture after he thought me dead for so long?"   
  
When she calmed down, her mother asked, "What changed you so? Why aren't you human anymore?" Mewthree replied, "It was an accident, but I really like it a lot. I can fly now. See my wings? They're not just for decoration. And look what else I can do!" She looked down at the picture she still held and said, "Now watch this." She held it up a bit, then once again felt the gentle heat on her furry cheeks as her eyes began to blaze bright, icy blue. After a few seconds, the picture began to glow as well. Then it zipped up and out of her grasp. Soon it hung motionless in the still air. She then said, "Hey, Mom! Catch!" The floating picture shot toward her mother and fell into her hands. Then she said, "Did you see that, Mom? Isn't that just so cool? I have power now! Psychic power!" They stared at her in pure wonder. Mewthree paused, then said, "Here's another major league bombshell for you. I'm a married woman now, and I am also a mother. Mom, you're a grandma! In a while, I will introduce you to my husband. His name is Mewtwo. I have a son and a daughter, too. Their names are Adam and Eve. I'm also the mother of two whole new species! You ever heard of a little white kittenish creature that's called a Mew? Well, you will! And then there are the 'Twos. Ah, such wonderful creatures they are… Mewtwo was the first ever, and so he is the father of the race, just as I am the mother. And I love him with all my heart and soul." Her mother tested the new name, unsure, then said, "Oh my God, no!" Mewthree started. Her father said in a terrified voice, "Jim left here, not even two hours ago! There was a news report with the cat creature that you spoke of as your new husband-Mewtwo-on it. He struck out for Washington D.C right then and there, saying he'd avenge the death of his sister even if it killed him! He's sworn an oath of death and destruction to Mewtwo!" Mewthree gasped in sheer horror, then said in a shaky voice, "God help us all. I have to get going now. Jim wants to kill my husband and I gotta go stop him! Goodbye, Mom! Goodbye, Daddy!"   
  
Mewtwo quietly loitered in the hospital waiting room, waiting for Mewthree to return. All of a sudden, he felt a strange presence nearby. A brown-haired man stood in the hallway. The man said coldly, "You… Are you the one they call Mewtwo?" He replied, (Yes. Yes, I am.) The man said in a vicious snarl, "I remember you very well, Mewtwo. You were the one who destroyed New Island that day. You killed my sister then. Now the day of retribution has come at long last." He took a step closer and raised a gun. Then he said harshly, "I am James Meisenheimer, and I have come to kill you as revenge for the death of Laura!" Mewtwo replied, (But I didn't kill her at all! She's alive! She's a winged version of me and her name is Mewthree!) Jim snarled at him, "Lies. All lies. First you killed her in cold blood for no reason at all, and now you actually have the audacity to claim that she is one of you? You monster!" He raised the gun and prepared to fire at Mewtwo's heart. He continued, "I dedicated my entire life to finding you again. I sold my soul to see you die by my hand. I can only hope and pray that Laura can see me from her place in heaven, and that she is pleased with me for this final act of revenge."   
  
There was a sudden crash of breaking glass and a female voice screamed, "Jim! Stop!" He paused for a millisecond and a winged duplicate of his foe soared in through a broken window to swiftly land between the two of them and shield Mewtwo with her own body. Mewtwo exclaimed, (Mewthree! It's you! You're here!) She just ignored him completely, turning instead to her angry brother. He was the problem and she would solve it. She said in a soft, reassuring voice, "Jim. Jim, it's me." He shook his head and snarled hatefully, "Impostor! Liar! You die too! Now!" She cried out, "No, Jim! Wait! I can-" He fired.   
  
The shot echoed in the small room. Mewthree made an ugly sound of shocked pain. She stayed there for a moment, staring at Jim with a look of total amazement. A psychically generated image hovered over her body, and James saw, instead of a winged feline, his sister. He gasped, "No!" An instant later, she fell backward like a ton of bricks. Blood flowed from a wound to her shoulder, shockingly red against her soft white fur. He knelt by her. A psychic voice screamed, (CURSE YOU FOREVER, HUMAN! Why? How could you do this to her? How could you kill the woman I love? Mewthree is my wife!) Jim looked up into the blazing blue eyes of an utterly enraged, crying psychic feline. Mewtwo had lost it completely, ready to kill Jim on the spot. Totally undaunted by the sight of his foe in full blood rage, he replied in a rumbling growl, "Well, Laura is my older sister! Seven years ago, she died trying to save me from you! I don't know how you made her into this…this monstrosity, but she's my sister and I love her! Curse your soul, I thought you had killed her on New Island!" Forming a huge near-white energy ball and barely holding it back, Mewtwo snarled in insane fury, (You stupid, stupid human! She chose this transformation over being one of you! Do you have any idea what we meant to one another? How much we cared for one another? She saved my life on several separate occasions! And she…she… Have you no idea what Laura did in her spare time at New Island? Have you no idea how she truly felt about the project she worked on with you, the project that created me? Have you no idea what she has done for you, for me, for us all?) Focusing his power in a tightly coiled burst, he let loose his fury on Jim with great force.   
  
Jim suddenly found himself floating high in the air over a vast storm-swept sea that boiled and churned with all sorts of dirt and debris. Before him floated the same winged feline that he had seen before, and had shot. Her eyes shone a bright sky blue and her tail waved lazily in the still air as she hovered. Then she clenched her paws into fists and screamed out in a voice that he recognized all too well… "I should have stopped them earlier! I should have taken a stand!" Then he saw her hovering with tears in her eyes. She said softly, "I knew it was wrong. That was why I made plans to steal you away from there right after you awakened…and why I sang lullabies to you in that tube. I talked to you, I told you stories, I pretended you could hear me… On some level, I think you responded. Even though you weren't awake, I had the feeling that, somehow, you were glad I came." The image then shifted to show him standing in a darkened room, standing before a tiny newborn baby 'Two, who was obviously speaking his very first words ever. The baby 'Two was held in the cat creature's arms, and, from the way it cuddled up to her, he guessed she was its mother. She stood before him and cuddled the baby lovingly, looking like she had just awakened from a deep sleep, saying to him with a drowsy little smile, "He's related to you. How could he not be cute?" The image then once again shifted to show the same cat creature, only this time she stood enveloped in a soft, gauzy, dreamlike haze, smiling at him with great affection and saying, "I love you, Mewtwo."   
  
All of a sudden, Jim found himself back in the hospital waiting room, once again staring at an enraged Mewtwo. Mewtwo fairly shrieked, (There! Do you see now? Do you see what you just tried to take away from me?) Jim replied, "I didn't know. I didn't think… The dreadful, hated, monster Mewtwo is a family guy? You're not the same Mewtwo I met in the laboratory that day…" He gathered the inert Mewthree up in his arms and held her close. He now knew her to be his sister. A moment later he looked up at Mewtwo again. His eyes were shining with tears. He said, "I never stopped hating you. I hated you nonstop all these seven long, long years. But now…somehow…I…can't…" He then burst into tears. Mewtwo took a small step closer and said, (First you say you want me dead, and are willing to gun down an innocent 'Two to do it… Now you weep over the body of my wife?) Jim cried, "She may be your wife, but I don't give a care about any of that! Before Project Mewtwo was even started, when I was only a little baby, she was my older sister! What you say I tried to take away from you was what you did take away from me for seven years! Seven whole years! She was my world, my best friend, and my constant supporter… I adored her! I idolized her!" His fury dying out ever so slowly, Mewtwo cut in; (She was the same for me. The center of my universe, my best friend… She was behind me all the way, and she was always there for me. My journey of life has been long, but I always had her. I love her. She is the foremother of two entirely new species, the Mews and the 'Twos. She gave life to hundreds, and someday she will have given life to untold millions! But that isn't why she is so important to me. She is my wife and the mother of my children.) Jim gasped. He said, "Not just married but a mother too? She's come so very, very far since New Island! Her children… What have I done?"  
  
Just then, Adam came on the scene with little Eve in tow. Adam saw his mother's crumpled, bloody body and cried, "Mom!" Eve reciprocated, "No! Mommy!" They both ran to her side. All four of them were crying, three 'Twos and one lone human. Adam sobbed, "My mom!" Eve cried, "My mommy!" Mewtwo wailed, (My beloved!) Jim whispered, "My sister!" A small, barely audible voice cut in, "Excuse me, you guys… Could I possibly trouble you for some surgical implements, disinfectant and a bandage? I'm in a world of hurt here, so would you mind leaving off your bawling for a moment?"   
  
Mewtwo exclaimed, (Mewthree! You're alive!) She just remarked wryly, "Technically, anyway." Adam said, "Mom, you're okay!" She sat up and replied, "Not exactly okay, Adam. Do I look okay to you? I mean, look at me." They did so. Blood was flowing rapidly from a huge wound in her left shoulder, tracing swift little crimson trails in her normally white fur. Her left arm was totally limp. The trauma had temporarily rendered it useless. Eve then dove into her arms and fairly bowled her over, sobbing hysterically, "Mommy! Mommy!" Mewthree yelped in pain, then said, "Ouch! Please be a little more careful with me, Eve. I'm hurt, remember?" A pair of hands gently picked the little 'Two up. It was Jim. Eve squirmed in his grasp as he hugged her gently. He said in a soft voice, "Don't you worry yourself any, small lady. I won't hurt you. My name is James and I'm your mommy's brother. I'm your uncle. Your name is Eve, right?" She nodded and said, "Put me down, please." He did so. Mewthree looked up at him and smiled, then said, "You're gonna make a very good uncle, Jim. But, then again, you always were good with kids. Well, Jim…welcome to the family." He replied, "Thank you so much…Laura." Mewthree nodded to Mewtwo. She said, "See? He's really okay. His name is Jim and he's my little brother. I told you about him in the New Island incident. You remember that? You have to meet Mom and Dad sometime. I'm sure they'll like you a whole lot."  
  
A few short seconds later, everyone, including little Eve, was working together to wash Mewthree's wound. While they did, they talked. Mewthree asked, "Where's Giovanni at now?" Mewtwo replied, (I took him to the nearest jail right after the press conference ended. Near as I can tell, he's gonna be in there for a very long time.) Adam cut in, "They may even give him a life sentence, or so I heard. Looks like Team Rocket is going to be out of business for good." Jim interrupted, "Wait just a darn minute! You guys are even involved with Team Rocket?" Mewtwo replied, (They're our worst enemies, kid. We were at war with them for quite a long while, and we took Giovanni prisoner in our last battle.) Adam interrupted, "And now that war is over for good. Hey, Dad! You know what?" Mewtwo replied, (No, what?) Adam said, "I think we won it!" Mewthree finished with a giggle, "You're both nuts, the pair of you." Adam said in a whiny voice, "Mom…" Mewtwo cut in, (Just let your mother talk to her little brother for a little while, Adam.) Adam settled down a little bit, but said, "But Dad, she just said that we were both nuts!"  
Just then, a strong, strident female voice called out, "Yo! Mewtwo, my friend, we have arrived!" Jim looked off to the side and saw a huge group of 'Twos standing in the doorway. Some were squashed up against the opposite wall. Others were piled on top of each other. More were being stood on. Many more were sitting on the shoulders of other 'Twos. Many Mews hovered up above their heads, making the ceiling appear to be white, furry and moving. Seeing Jim, Candy stepped up a bit closer and said as she hatefully sneered at him, "Who's the puny little human, Mewtwo? You want I should…take care of him for you?" Mewthree snapped at her with a furious snarl, "This human is my little brother and don't you dare insult him or threaten him in my presence." Candy promptly shut up and glared daggers at Mewthree. Everything seemed to be very tense and rapidly nearing the breaking point. Everyone felt the tension in the air beginning to build up.  
  
Jim asked, "Hey. You guys got a plan as to what you want to do next? I mean, you just defeated your ultimate enemy and established yourselves as a full-fledged species. What comes next for you?" Mewthree considered it for a while, then said, "I, for one, plan to gather all the Mews and 'Twos together to go forth to storm all the remaining Team Rocket outposts and rescue any and all captive 'Twos they may still have in their possession. And if there are any more free 'Twos still living anywhere out there in the world…we will find them. Would you care to join us in the worldwide hunt, Jim?" Jim said, "Yes. I'll join you on your quest to find other 'Twos, Laura." He paused for a moment and continued, seeming to revert to a childish state, "…Or I would join you, if I knew my Humanity wouldn't just be a liability to you guys. I wish I had strong, cool psychic powers too. I… I… I wish I was a 'Two! If you're not going to be Laura anymore, then I wish I were no longer puny old James, but a mighty 'Two just like you." Mewthree looked at him, just thinking. Then she knew exactly what to do next. She said softly, "Give me your hand, Jim." Jim held out his right hand to her. She grabbed him by the wrist and said, "Scalpel." One was promptly placed in her hand. In one smooth, swift motion, before Jim could even react, she sliced a deep gash in his palm. He cried out in pain and jerked his hand out of her grasp. He fairly yelled at her, "Jeez! Why the heck did you do that to me?" Mewthree's paw blurred into sudden, swift motion. She grabbed his wrist again and said, "Relax, Jim. Calm down and let me do this, okay?" She pressed his cut, bleeding hand against the bloody wound in her shoulder. After a few minutes of just holding him there, she released her his cut hand, whereupon Adam came forward and quickly bandaged it up for him. Mewthree's wound was bandaged up as well. Jim said, "I asked you before, so I'll ask you again. Why in the heck did you just do that to me?" Mewthree replied cryptically, "You'll see why in time, Jim. You'll see…" She paused, and then said, "On another note, here are some simple instructions for you, and you had best follow them. Don't remove the bandage and don't wash your hand. If you do that, then this will all have been for nothing." Jim replied, "Right. I'll do what you say." Mewthree turned to face Mewtwo and said, "Do you think it'll really work?" Mewtwo replied, (I'm sure of it. As a matter of fact, I can feel it starting already.) She said, "Already? So individual non-genetic factors influence how long it takes to happen? Now that is a very good thing to know! If it's already starting, then it won't be all that long now." Frustrated, Jim fairly shrieked, "Why won't you just come out with it and tell me what's going on? What won't be long? What's good to know?" Mewthree shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Give it time, Jim. The first stage will probably take a few hours. Natural strength will bear you out during the hardest part. It won't hurt a bit. It'll just feel a little bit weird. But when it's all over and done with, everything we've said up to this point will make perfect sense to you." All of a sudden, Jim wavered and nearly fell over. He put his good hand to his head and said, "Wait just a minute. I'm starting to feel all funny." Mewthree leaned forward intently and asked, "Really, Jim? Please tell me… How is it that you feel right now?" Jim shook his head and said, "Well, for one thing, I feel totally overloaded in the brain department. It's like being blind all my life and suddenly being able to see everything at once. I've never experienced anything like this before in my whole life. How exactly can I deal with it? I'm feeling things I've never felt before in my life. There's new information coming into my head even now. I can feel…echoes of things that weren't said. I hear words…and people aren't saying them!" Mewthree raised a fist high, then reared back and crowed, "Jim, that's perfect! My, your development is accelerated! Let's see… If it took three days for a first manifestation and then seven days more for the full thing to hit… And it took you three minutes for a first manifestation…" She snapped back to attention and fixed James with a piercing gaze. She said urgently, "Jim, I'd say you have precisely seven minutes before things really go out the window for you. Get ready for an incredibly wild ride. Hold on to your butt."   
  
After waiting for a few minutes, Jim screamed, "Too much! Help me!" Mewthree cried, "Jim! Focus! Visualize it! Try! Please try!" He couldn't hear her. The sudden explosion of extrasensory awareness was too much for him. Mewthree turned to Mewtwo and said, "He can't handle it alone. I'd better get in there and help him. Two minds are better than one, even if I can't intervene directly. I can show him the way." Not giving him any time to reply, she put her paws on her brother's face, closed her eyes and entered his mind.   
  
Jim was drowning in a vast sea of thoughts and memories. He struggled and cried out for help, but to no avail. Then he heard a voice. "Jim! Jim, I'm coming in there!" All of a sudden, Mewthree was floating over his head. He cried out, "Help me!" She replied, "I can't help you. This is one battle you have to fight." He said, "How can I? I'm just a stupid good-for-nothing geek! I can't win!" She replied, "You have to fight this battle yourself, but you don't have to do it alone. I can't fight alongside you, but I can show you how to win this fight by yourself." Jim said, "Okay, then! Show me what I have to do!" She replied, "I will do just that, Jim. Just hang on for a minute, okay?" She fluttered down behind him and put her paws on his temples. "Be calm, Jim. I'm here. Close your eyes," she said, "And just let your mind go blank. Relax." He slowly relaxed in her arms, trusting his older sister completely. She said to him in a soothing voice, "Don't fight the chaos. Give yourself over to its influence and just go with it. See where it takes you. Feel the power burning bright inside your soul. This is what was given to you when we mixed our blood. It is the innate power of a 'Two. Right now, it's inside you, but it's still a thing that is separate from you. Do you feel its presence within your body? Feel how it is calling to you? Hear it beckoning to you, calling for you to accept it? It is yours, Jim. It is the birthright of a 'Two, and it is your birthright, now that you have been reborn. Now…" She paused, then said in a soothing voice, "All is peace. All is calm. From within the silence of yourself, reach out…and claim it." There was a flash of light and the sea of thoughts was gone. It was just Jim and Mewthree, floating alone together in the darkness.   
There was a flash of light and life and knowledge. Memories began to come to the both of them from before the destruction of New Island, from when he and Laura were still working together on Project Mewtwo. Jim also saw Laura's little accident with the vial of Mew DNA, and then felt the strange, wonderful changes as they took place inside her. He saw her childish wonder turn sour upon the first failure of their experiment. As more and more deaths passed, he could feel the pain the unborn 'Twos felt as they died…through her. He saw her taking the dead 'Twos down to the place she called the Catacombs, and saw the funerals she performed alone. Then, at last, he saw the birth of Mewtwo himself, and felt her joy. Then he felt her horror as the carnage began, and saw her friends scream and die around her. He saw himself standing there, scared out of his mind. Then he saw himself fleeing for the door. Two sparking wires fell and…and… Sheer mind-crushing grief settled in on her shattered soul. Weeping wildly, she then found herself looking up at Mewtwo, who was holding a paw out to her. Flames surrounded them both. From there, the images shifted around as fast as lightning. He saw the shipwreck, the first confrontation with Mewtwo, the flight to the jungle, the capture, the breakout, searching for and finding Mew, the hurricane, life in the Pentagon, having her children, fighting Team Rocket. Then all went dark again. He said softly, "Oh, my… These images… Are these your memories?" There was a long silence as they hung in the darkness. Mewthree looked away and replied, "Words alone cannot express the suffering. Words alone cannot ease the pain. Beyond words lies memory. In memory, there is truth. Make this truth your own." There was a long silence. Then Jim said softly, "I understand now. You've been through so much in these past seven years. God, how could I ever doubt you? You've always been so strong…" Mewthree replied softly, "Jim… I'm not strong at all…" She couldn't meet his gaze. She continued in a shaky voice, "I was just doing what I do best…surviving. When I thought I lost you… I really wanted death. But…I cannot die!"   
  
They awakened together. Mewthree looked around to find her beloved Mewtwo. He asked, (Why are you crying?) She lied, "I don't know." Then she turned to Jim…and gasped. Not only was he in 'Two form, but… "Wings," she whispered, "He has wings." After a few seconds of just gaping at him, she fairly shrieked, "Oh, screw me! Shouldn't have used my blood!" Jim asked, "Why is that?" She replied, "Look at yourself, Jim. You're not a 'Two, you're a 'Three." He cut in happily, sounding like a child, "Even better! Now I'm like you!" He paused, then said, "I can't call myself Jim anymore. Jim is a human name, and I'm not human anymore. I need a new name, so call me Shade!" Mewtwo replied with a smile, (Well, Shade, welcome to the family.) Shade, once James, said, "Thanks so much. But what do we do now? How do you propose we begin the hunt for other 'Twos out there in the world?" Mewthree replied, "I don't really know what we're going to do next. I hadn't really thought that far ahead." Shade smacked himself over the head and said, "You never did bother to plan anything in your life. I thought being involved in a war against Team Rocket would make you learn how to plan ahead, but I guess I was wrong. But I have an idea as to what to do. Everyone gather around me and listen up to what I have to say, okay?" The Mews and 'Twos came a bit closer to hear what it was he had to say to them. He said, "All Mews and 'Twos are naturally psychic creatures, right? If we all work together, everyone enhancing each other's innate abilities and pooling our powers, I think we might be able to send out a worldwide message. And we can use our powers to find the 'Twos who can't reply, wherever they may be hidden."   
Mewtwo cut in; (His idea has more than enough merit to warrant an attempt. Let's try it, shall we?) Everyone gathered even closer, placing their paws on the backs of two other 'Twos and merging their powers. The Mews joined in, each landing on the shoulder of a 'Two and adding their powers to the effort. Their minds instantly became one vast psychic pool, and their combined awareness stretched across the globe. They spoke in one voice, their words like rolling thunder in the mind of any psychic creature that could hear. They said, (We are the free 'Twos of this world, the opponents of Team Rocket and the cause of their downfall. All 'Twos who can hear the words we say, sing out and make yourselves known to us. Make yourselves known to us and we will come to set you free.)  
  
The message rolled out across the face of the planet. It went unnoticed by just about everyone, passing silently through cities and towns alike. But, in hidden places all over the world, secreted deep in the dark dungeons of Team Rocket facilities, the intended recipients of the message heard it. Their response was unanimous and joyous, and the locations of thousands of captive 'Twos were pinpointed in just a few short seconds. The response to the call, (Here! We're here! We hear! Light! Light! Bring us into the light!) There were even a few wordless, happy psychic cries from the world's rare wild Mews.   
  
Mewthree mapped the locations in her mind and also catalogued them. Once the link was broken, she tore across the room like a frightened rabbit, threw papers and books aside in her haste until she found a world map. Using her psychic powers in her frantic haste, a red pen flew across the room and landed in her paw. Not even missing a beat, she began to mark spots on the map. She said, "Some in northern Canada, a lot on the Serengeti Plain, a large number by Ayers Rock in Australia, a bunch at the Cliffs of Dover, some in Chile and southern Argentina, more in African jungles, some around the Amazon, a few in Mexican ruins and some around Hawaii. In other words, we really got our work cut out for us this time." Shade cut in, "So why don't we get it started?" Mewtwo interrupted; (You have to learn to use your psychic powers first. That way you can fly and fight. I'll teach you energy attacks if you want.) Shade replied, "With these wings, I don't need to learn to fly. And I want to show Mewthree something." Mewthree turned to him and asked, "What do you want to show me?" He replied, "I already have an energy attack. You'll recognize it the moment I start. Let's go outside so I can show you what I mean."  
  
To be continued in `Meet the Saiyans'. This is going to be a crossover between Pokemon and Dragonball Z. But the Dragonballs do not exist. BE PREPARED FOR RIDICULOUS LEVELS OF OOC-NESS!!!!!  
  
  
  
  



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